Recent government data shows that more than four out of ten South Korean cultural heritages taken out of the country are located in Japan.

The Cultural Heritage Administration, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said on Monday that a total of 71-thousand-375 Korean cultural assets have been traced to Japan, accounting for 43 percent of local cultural heritages littered across the world.

Japan has returned around six-thousand-550 of the assets so far. Of them, three-thousand-300 items were returned voluntarily by those holding them, while the remainder was given back through diplomatic negotiations between the two countries.

According to the administration, three-thousand-600 Korean cultural assets were discovered in Japan since the end of June last year, but only 76 of them have been returned.