Koreans Bid to Retrieve Royal s Rejected

A French court has dismissed a suit by a Korean civic group seeking the retrieval of royal texts from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) that were pillaged by French troops during a 19th-century invasion, activists said Wednesday.

According to the Seoul-based group Cultural Action, a Paris court ruled on Dec. 24 that the Korean royal texts were "national property" of France, as they are currently stored at the National Library of France.