French intellectuals are campaigning for the return of ancient royal texts the imperial French stole when they invaded Korea in 1866.

A Korean department professor at the University of Paris 7 says a group of French intellectuals including the school's president Vincent Berger formed in April an association to lead the campaign.

The members of the association have visited government ministries and the presidential office to persuade officials and to promote the return of the texts to South Korea.

They said that former French President François Mitterrand had, in the past, promised to return them.