Prosecutors say artist's 'fake' work is genuine

A painting attributed to one of South Korea's most renowned artists has been declared genuine by state prosecutors, despite the insistence of the late artist herself that it was a fake.

The painting Beautiful Woman by Chun Kyung-ja has been the focus of a bizarre, decades-long dispute over its authenticity, and Monday's announcement by the prosecutors looks unlikely to end the matter, with Chun's family vowing to pursue efforts to have it declared a forgery.

Born in 1924 in a small town in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, Chun Kyung-ja was best known for her paintings of female figures and flowers using vivid primary colors that broke with traditional South Korean styles.