Two Frenchmen honored for helping Seoul retrieve looted royal books

PARIS, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Two Frenchmen, including a former culture minister, were honored by South Korea Friday for helping Seoul retrieve ancient royal books looted nearly 150 years ago.
The Korean royal books "Oegyujanggak" returned from Paris to South Korea in May, 145 years after they were seized by invading French forces in 1866. The books detail royal ceremonies and rites of Korea's last kingdom, the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910)
After decades of tough negotiations, France agreed to return the books permanently under a renewable lease.
On Friday, Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, on behalf of the South Korean government, conferred diplomatic service medals on former French Culture Minister Jacques Lang and Vincent Berger, president of Paris Diderot University, for their efforts to help Seoul recover the books.
Kim also honored the South Korean ambassador to Paris with a meritorious government medal. The Seoul government also plans to award medals to three South Koreans and a Korean-French historian for their efforts.
The South Korean foreign minister was in Paris for an international conference on rebuilding the war-devastated Libya.