(27 Dec 2011)
1. Close-up of royal books on display at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul
2. Wide of royal books
3. Wide of the exhibition
4. Mid of visitors
5. Mid of royal books in display cases
6. Mid of visitors looking at the royal books and picture
7. SOUNDBITE: (Korean) Kim Jung-Im, Exhibition and Publicity Department Curator, National Palace Museum of Korea:
++AUDIO AS INCOMING++
"A large number of royal books from the Joseon Dynasty were returned to Korea. With this opportunity, I hope that the campaign for searching lost artifacts, between Korea and Japan, progresses in a positive way."
8. Set-up of visitor Laura Hernandez, 22-year-old exchange student, viewing the royal books
9. Close-up of Hernandez
10. Close-up of royal book
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Laura Hernandez, exchange student:
"I think it's a good point for both countries, for Korea because these books belong to them, to the Korean people, for the Japanese it's like a way of showing some respect."
12. Wide of recreated ancient South Korean royal library
13. Mid of books in recreated ancient South Korean royal library
14. SOUNDBITE: (Korean) Jeon Eun-Seok, 56-year-old office worker:
"First of all, I was glad that our old stuff came back to its rightful place, and about Japan, I feel bitter because they stole the books a long time ago. I keep thinking about these things."
15. Wide of visitor looking at royal book
16. Various of electronic royal book
17. Pan of exhibition
STORYLINE:
An exhibition of hundreds of centuries-old Korean royal books from the Joseon Dynasty, which had been looted by Japan, opened to the public on Tuesday at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul.
The 1,205 books were returned home earlier in the month after being taken by Japan during its 1910-45 colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula.
The ancient books record and illustrate royal protocols for weddings, funerals, banquets and other events used during Korea's Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
The Japanese used them to study Korea.
Kim Jung-Im, Exhibition and Publicity Department Curator of the National Palace Museum of Korea, welcomed the return of the books to Korea.
"With this opportunity, I hope that the campaign for searching lost artifacts, between Korea and Japan, progresses in a positive way," Kim said.
Visitors to the exhibition also welcomed the return of the books.
"I think it's a good point for both countries, for Korea because these books belong to them, to the Korean people, for the Japanese it's like a way of showing some respect," said Laura Hernandez, a 22-year-old exchange student.
"I was glad that our old stuff came back to its right place, and about Japan, I feel bitter because they stole the books a long time ago," said Jeon Eun-Seok, a 56-year-old office worker.
The exhibition will run until February 5, 2012.
The Korean peninsula has been divided since Japan's defeat at the end of World War II, with rival governments in the north and south.
Japan returned a total of 1,432 items of cultural assets to South Korea in 1965 when the two sides normalised their diplomatic relations.
Globally, there are numerous disputes over the return of cultural assets looted during wartime, seized by colonial powers or taken away by scholars and diplomats.
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