Lawmakers have reprimanded the government over a delay in the return of valuable cultural artifacts Japan took from the Korean Peninsula under colonial rule.

Democratic Party legislator Choi Jae-sung said during a parliamentary inquiry on the South Korean Embassy in Japan on Tuesday that two months have passed since Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan promised Tokyo would return ancient books and cultural assets that his country took from the Korean Peninsula in the colonial period. Among the artifacts taken is a meticulous record of royal ceremonies and rituals called the “Joseon Wangsil Uigwe.”

Choi said no progress has been made on the issue since Kan made the promise.

Grand National Party lawmaker Hong Jung-wook also urged the government to swiftly seek the return of the cultural assets, saying the Korean public is becoming increasingly disappointed over the delay.

In response, South Korea’s Ambassador to Japan Kwon Chul-hyun said it is unlikely that the artifacts will be returned within this year as Japan’s efforts to select the cultural assets that are to be returned is expected to take some time.