SEOUL - The second shipment of ancient South Korean royal books returned to Seoul from France on Friday, about two weeks after the first batch of 75 books of the total 297- volume arrived.  

The 73 books of the 297-volume "Oegyujanggak," looted by French troops during the Joseon Dynasty in 1866, have been delivered to the National Museum of Korea after landing at Incheon International Airport at around 9:05 am.  

The royal books describe and illustrate rituals, protocols and daily court routine.

The return of the books came as South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and his French counterpart Nicholas Sarkozy agreed during a Group of 20 summit in Seoul last November that France would return the manuscripts to South Korea in the form of a permanent lease that will be renewed every five years.    

Two additional deliveries of the rest of royal books are scheduled in May.