OUR POSITION
Document No. Date: October 7, 1959
Re:
Korean Claims against Japan (Art Objects & Vessels)
I. Art Objects
1. It is reminded again that "Korean art objects mean all classical books, art objects in narrow sense, curios and other national treasures. As for the range of time of removal from Korea of Korean art objects, our position is that the Japanese Government should turn over to us all those art objects taken away from Korea since 1905." (FT-006, Frbruary 10, 1958)
2. There is no essential change in our position that we intend to pursue not only those Korean art objects in the Japanese Government possession but also ones privately owned by Japanese nationals or organizations.
3. As for art objects excluding classical books, we prepared for claim a list of 12,489 items of them (see Annex I page 2 ) Which includes 6,471 items in the Japanese Government possession and 6,018 items in private possession. The Delegation is instructed to negotiate with the Japanese side for having these items returned as soon as possible. Even in case the Japanese side refuses under any circumstances to deliver the objects in private possession, we must claim 80 registered items (see Annex I page 3 ) of them. The Delegation is exclusively informed that the 935 items included in "Itemised List of Cultural Properties (Art Objects and Archaeological Materials) firstly requested for restoration" (see Annex I page 3 ) plus the above-mentioned 80 items, besides 489 items the list of which the Japanese side presented us the other day (see Annex I page 4 ) are those items which cannot be dispensed with under any circumstances.
4. The talks for classical books should be settled simultaneously with the settlement of the other art objects, and a list of these books are shown in Annex I pages 2 and 3. The Delegation is exclusively informed that the books of Naikaku Bunko and Kunaisho Toshoryo excluding those removed from Korea before 1905 are a heart of our claims on this subject.