Seoul will soon file a request with Tokyo 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 Monday, citing a South Korean official.
The official said a request to this effect may be filed as early as this week during Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada's two-day visit to South Korea starting Wednesday.
The official said the government had recently confirmed that hundreds of volumes of royal documents of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), believed to describe various aspects of Joseon Dynasty life, from its customs and medical science to the history of its military, as well as books used in the education of the royal family, are housed in the archives of Japan's Imperial Household Agency.
The government is still reviewing the best way to secure their (documents) return from Japan," he said, adding that it is a "far too complicated" issue that cannot be rushed.
While seeking the return of the royal documents, the foreign ministry and the Cultural Heritage Administration also plans to draw up a comprehensive plan for the return or restitution of Korean cultural properties overseas.
South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung Hwan is set to hold a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Okada on Wednesday and Thursday.
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