S. Korea welcomes return of ancient books

South Korea on Thursday welcomed the expected return of Korean royal documents looted during the French invasion more than a century ago, saying it would help further enhance ties between Seoul and Paris.

Seventy-five of the 297 ancient Oegyujanggak books from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), stolen in 1866 during the French invasion, are set to arrive in South Korea later Thursday, the first partial retrieval on a renewable five-year lease.

"The foreign ministry expresses gratitude to the French authorities, including the foreign ministry and the National Library of France, for active cooperation during negotiations for the return," Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"With the return of the books, we hope the future-oriented relations between South Korea and France would further develop," it added.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged in November to return the books that have been kept at its national library, taking a step closer to resolving a source of diplomatic feud between the two countries.

The two sides signed an official agreement in February and later settled technical and administrative aspects of the deal, under which four additional shipments are scheduled by the end of next month.