April 28, 2011
The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs on April 27 approved a bilateral agreement to return to South Korea the collection of Korean royal documents, which Japan took from the Korean Peninsula during its colonial rule, by the majority vote of the Japanese Communist, Democratic, Komei, and Social Democratic parties.
The Japan-South Korea agreement is expected to be approved at a Lower House plenary session on April 28 and will then be sent to the Upper House.
The cultural asset, Chosen Oushitsu Gigi (Joseon Dynasty Uigwe), is a collection of Royal Protocols of the Korean Dynasty, which was plundered by the Imperial General Headquarters in Korea in 1922.
In South Korea, civic organizations have campaigned for the return of the historical documents, and the parliament has twice adopted a resolution to this effect.
The Japanese government last August published the prime minister’s comment on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the annexation of Korea, announcing its intent to return the cultural property to South Korea. In November, the foreign ministers of the two governments signed a bilateral agreement to this effect during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference (APEC) in Yokohama.
At the April 22 Lower House committee meeting, JCP representative Kasai Akira stressed that the documents are an important cultural asset and directly related to the historical identity of Korean people.
The Japan-South Korea agreement is expected to be approved at a Lower House plenary session on April 28 and will then be sent to the Upper House.
The cultural asset, Chosen Oushitsu Gigi (Joseon Dynasty Uigwe), is a collection of Royal Protocols of the Korean Dynasty, which was plundered by the Imperial General Headquarters in Korea in 1922.
In South Korea, civic organizations have campaigned for the return of the historical documents, and the parliament has twice adopted a resolution to this effect.
The Japanese government last August published the prime minister’s comment on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the annexation of Korea, announcing its intent to return the cultural property to South Korea. In November, the foreign ministers of the two governments signed a bilateral agreement to this effect during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference (APEC) in Yokohama.
At the April 22 Lower House committee meeting, JCP representative Kasai Akira stressed that the documents are an important cultural asset and directly related to the historical identity of Korean people.
