By Lee Hyo-sik
The nation’s two flagship carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, have expressed intent to transport back to Korea a set of Korean royal documents, taken by French troops in the 19th century, free of charge from France.
The two airlines said Tuesday that they made such an offer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, stressing they would like to contribute to the historic return of 297 volumes of the “Oegyujanggak,” which recorded and illustrated all of the rituals, formalities and daily routines of the royal court during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).
A ranking foreign ministry official confirmed this, saying the ministry is currently discussing the offer with the National Museum of Korean and will soon make a decision. The costs of transporting the Oegyujanggak back to Korea are estimated to total over 10 million won ($9,000).
The government plans to bring the books into the country, beginning from later this month, on three or four separate occasions through the end of May.
“We would like to transport the Oegyujanggak from France free of charge. We think Korean Air is perfectly suited for the job because we already operate a cargo airplane between Incheon and Paris, designed for the transportation of cultural artifacts and valuable art works,” a Korean Air spokesman said.
Asiana Airlines also said it would like to be a carrier of the Oegyujanggak.
“We think it is our duty, as a responsible corporate member here, to serve national interests. We will be honored to bring the precious historical treasures home,” an Asiana Airlines spokesman said.
The two firms are expected to alternate transporting Oegyujanggak back to Korea. Currently, Korean Air operates flights between Incheon and Paris daily, with Asiana Airlines operating three weekly flights.
On Feb. 7, France agreed to transfer 297 volumes of the Oegyujanggak from the National Library of France to the National Museum of Korea by May 31, following French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s announcement to return the books on a permanent lease basis when he held talks with President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul last November. The contract is to be renewed every five years.
The Oegyujanggak will be returned to Korea, 145 years after they were taken to France and 20 years after Korea raised this issue with the French.
The books were taken by French troops in 1866 when they attacked Ganghwa Island, where a branch of the royal library was located, in retaliation for Korea’s execution of French Catholic missionaries.