First batch of Oegyujanggak books arrives in Korea

The Oegyujanggak, part of the Korean royal archives of the Joseon Dynasty, have finally arrived in their homeland after an absence of 145 years.

On April 14, 50 books from the archives entered Korea through Incheon Airport. Looted in 1866 by the French Navy, the return of the books was a major part of summit talks last November between President Lee Myung-bak and his French counterpart, President Nicolas Sarkozy. The two leaders agreed on general conditions for the return in the form of a renewable five-year loan, settling two decades of discussions.

Following the summit talk, the return of Oegyujanggak has picked up speed as the two parties reached an agreement in Paris on February 7. Korea’s ambassador to France, Park Heung-shin, and Paul Jean-Ortiz, Asia director for the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs, then signed an agreement formally laying out the terms.

On March 16, both parties’ conducted a working-level meeting under the supervision of Kim Young-na, director of the National Museum of Korea and Bruno Racine, the current president of National Library of France (Bibliothèque Nationale de France).

The rest of the 297-volume Oegyujanggak will be soon returned in three separate installments and transferred to the National Museum of Korea. The museum plans to hold a transfer ceremony in early June and exhibit the Oegyujanggak books this summer.

Meanwhile, the National Museum of Korea hosted a press briefing on April 14, on the return of the ancient Korean royal archives. During the press briefing, Culture Minister Choung Byoung-gug said that the return of the Oegyujanggak has deepened French-Korean friendship and reinforced bilateral trust.

By Hwang Dana
Korea.net Staff Writer