A committee dedicated to bringing back ancient Korean royal books stolen by colonial Japan has hailed Tokyo’s promise to return the texts.

In a Tuesday statement to mark the centennial of Japan's annexation of Korea, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said his government plans to return soon the ancient books and cultural assets Japan took from the Korean Peninsula during the colonial period.

The Venerable Hyemun, who is the committee's secretary general, held a news conference following the statement. He said the prime minister's remark went beyond an apology and will be a turning point in the establishment of new bilateral relations based on understanding and friendship.

The Buddhist priest also commended the efforts of all civic groups that worked to retrieve the ancient texts.
The Seoul government is unable to be directly involved in the retrieval as stipulated by a 1965 agreement with Japan.

The committee vowed continued efforts to bring back more royal books and cultural relics from Japan.