Seoul: South Korea 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 1910-1945, according to a media report on Monday, citing a South Korean official.
The official said a request for return of the royal documents may be filed as early as this week when South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung Hwan holds talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, who will make a two-day visit to South Korea from Wednesday, Yonhap news agency reported .
"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 was quoted as saying by Yonhap.
"The government is still reviewing the best way to win their return from Japan," he said, adding that it is a "complicated" issue that cannot be rushed.
The documents kept by 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, the official said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 08, 2010, 15:45