There are now increasing suspicions that the Japanese government deliberately cut down the objects of the cultural treasures looted by Japan in the past and concealed the list of artifacts in the course of returning them, the editorial said.

A suit was filed against Japan in demand of opening to public the list of those cultural treasures long ago, but the Japanese government has persistently refused to open them to public, it charged.

Recorded in the list concealed by the Japanese government is the background against which Japan took away artifacts, it noted, adding the disclosure of Japan's illegal looting of them would give rise to the concern of Japan over growing public demand for their return in south Korea.

The editorial urged Japan to open to public the list of those cultural treasures and return them at once.