Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other city officials on Tuesday unveiled the newly restored Turtle Ship, a Korean artifact gifted to Los Angeles in 1982, which will be on display at the Convention Center where thousands of visitors are expected to view it during the 2028 Summer Olympics.

“The Turtle Ship is a powerful symbol of our enduring friendship with Busan and the Korean community,” Bass said in a statement. “I’m honored to celebrate this moment with our Korean American community, whose contributions enrich our city every day.

“We look forward to visitors from all around the world seeing this artifact while attending events at the Convention Center, especially as a venue for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Bass added.

The mayor led the unveiling of the artifact alongside City Council members John Lee and Heather Hutt, as well as members of the Korean-American community. The celebration also featured a traditional Korean drum performance by the Hwarang Youth Foundation

Lee, who represents the 12th District, encompassing the northwest communities of the San Fernando Valley, and is the only Korean American City Council member, described the Turtle Ship as a “generous gift” and a “powerful symbol” of friendship and cultural exchange between L.A. and its sister city, Busan, South Korea.

Last summer, after Bass and the City Council approved a plan to move decades-old artifacts out of City Hall to make way for Olympic flags and other exhibits that highlighted the 1932 and 1984 Games, two groups of predominantly Japanese-American and Korean-American activists criticized that decision and urged elected officials to return them.

The two previous Summer Olympic host cities, Paris and Tokyo, also displayed the official Olympic flag at their main municipal building.

City officials relocated the Turtle Ship and a portable shrine called a Mikoshi from Nagoya to the Convention Center. The Department of Cultural Affairs assembled a professional team of conservators and art handlers to conduct restoration and reinstall the gifts.

According to the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Turtle Ship last underwent restoration and conservation treatment nearly 20 years ago.

The Mayor’s Office did not immediately respond to an inquiry regarding the status of the Mikoshi.

Additionally, other artifacts such as the Kasuisa Float, and the Karakuri Wall Clock, a bust of Mexican President Benito Juarez and another bust of Juarez’s wife, Margarita Maza, were also removed outside the hallway near the Mayor’s Office. The busts are headed to El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, according to signage posted at City Hall.

At the time, Scott Suh, former president of the Los Angeles Wilshire Center Koreatown Neighborhood Council and spokesman for the Turtle Ship and Mikoshi Shrine Restoration Demand Committee, said the city’s action was “terribly disrespectful.”

Suh did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.

The city allocated $500,000 for restoration and conservation, and some of that funding also addressed the marble flooring and walls behind displays at City Hall, which showed cracking and signs of wear.

According to Bass’ office, while the city relocated the gifts to the Convention Center, the mayor held community meetings to share updates on the effort. Starting in September 2024, the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs worked with Korean leaders and collaborated on the unveiling ceremony.

Meanwhile, Robert Ahn, president of the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles, supported the city’s decision to move the artifacts.

“(It) ensures that the gift from Busan will be more accessible and enjoyed by a much wider audience,” Ahn said in a statement. “This cultural artifact has been carefully restored and can be displayed in a manner that respects the sentiments of the Korean American community.”

Kim Weedmark, general manager of the Convention Center, added that he was thrilled to house such a “precious gift.”