Seoul to seek return of looted royal documents from Japan

SEOUL, Feb. 8 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government is working to secure the
return of hundreds of volumes of royal documents, including official records of
the royal family, that were looted during Japan's colonial rule of Korea in
1910-45, an official said Monday.

The official said a request for the return of the royal documents may be filed as
early as this week when South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan holds talks
with his Japanese counterpart Katsuya Okada here.
"The government has recently confirmed that (Japan's) Imperial Household Agency
is safekeeping hundreds of volumes of royal documents of the Joseon Dynasty
(1392-1910)," the official said.
The official, however, said it was a "far too complicated" issue that cannot be
rushed, also noting the government has yet to decide whether or when it will
request their return.
"In the case of the official records of the royal household of Joseon, the
country requested their return at a foreign ministerial meeting held in 2008. The
government is still reviewing the best way to win their return from Japan," he
said.
The South Korean foreign minister is set to hold a bilateral meeting with the
Japanese foreign minister on Wednesday and Thursday.
The documents kept in the imperial house of Japan include 375 volumes of books
said to describe various aspects of life under Joseon Dynasty from its customs
and medical science to the history of its military, as well as books used in the
education of the royal family, according to the official.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)

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