PARIS, Nov. 23 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean-born French scholar who contributed to the return of Korea's ancient royal books from France died at a Paris hospital on Tuesday. She was 83.
Park Byeng-sen, a Korean historian who studied in France, had been receiving hospital treatment after undergoing surgery for rectal cancer in Suwon, south of Seoul, in January last year.
She returned to Paris to write a book 10 months later but underwent two more surgical procedures after her disease worsened.
The South Korean Embassy in France said it plans to build a memorial altar for the late Park at a Korean cultural center in Paris and is discussing funeral procedures with her family.
The Seoul government is considering burying her at a national cemetery in recognition of her large contribution to the country, even though she was naturalized as a French citizen after 1967.
Park received a national medal from the South Korean government in September for helping Seoul retrieve the ancient royal books that were looted nearly 150 years ago. She also discovered the presence of Korea's "Jikjisimcheyojeol," the world's oldest metal printing type, at the French national library when she worked as a librarian there in 1972.
In 1977, she found that the looted royal books were among the collections of the library and prompted a campaign in South Korea for the books' return.
The Korean royal books titled "Oegyujanggak" returned to South Korea in May, 145 years after they were seized by invading French forces in 1866. The books detail royal ceremonies and rites of Korea's last kingdom, the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
After decades of tough negotiations, France agreed to return the books permanently under a renewable lease.
