Pyongyang, December 8 (KCNA) -- The Central Committee of the Buddhist Federation of Korea and the BFK National Believers' Association and the south Korean Movement for Recovering Cultural Treasures and the Council of the South Korean Buddhist Jogye Order issued the following north-south joint declaration of Buddhists on Thursday.

Returned to the Korean nation in 80 odd years were books that record royal events kept in the room of the king of Korea, robbed by the "Government General in Korea" during the Japanese imperialists' occupation of it.

In 2010 the Japanese government decided to return 1 205 books including the said books with the lapse of 100 years after the fabrication of the "Korea-Japan annexation" as an occasion. This was a result of the joint efforts made by Buddhists in the north and the south of Korea since 2006.

The Buddhists in the north and the south will jointly work harder to retake the national cultural assets, looted by the Japanese imperialists, under the banner of "By our nation itself".

Furthermore, they will pool efforts of 70 million compatriots to urge Japan's reflection of its colonial rule and positively contribute to accelerating the country's reunification, the cherished desire of the nation.

We will jointly work to hold a "north-south seminar for retaking cultural treasures looted by the Japanese imperialists" with the return of the royal books, an achievement made by the June 15 national cooperation despite difficulties and hardships, as a momentum.