Memory of the World Programme in Korea Korean National Commission for UNESCO
I. The Institutional Framework on Documentary Heritage 1. Mechanisms
A. Historic Documentary Heritage H
h
istoric documentary heritage is preserved in the same manner as other kind of eritage, under three basic mechanisms concerning cultural properties.
1) Cultural Properties Protection Law (CPPL)
The purpose of this law, promulgated on Jan. 10th 1962, is to contribute to the cultural advancement of the general public as well as to the cultural development of human beings through the preservation and utilization of cultural properties.
T o d
2) Committee on Cultural Properties (CCP)
he CPPL provides a comprehensive legal framework, such as a definition f cultural properties, the establishment of Committee on Cultural Properties, the esignation of national cultural properties, protection, investigation and others.
in the field of cultural properties. The
3) Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) The CCP currently consists of 90 experts
CCP deliberates basic policies on nationally designated cultural properties, and conducts research, development and evaluations of cultural properties. The CCP is divided into 8 sub-committees in accordance with the categories of cultural properties. Documentary heritage belongs to the 2nd sub-committee that deals with movable cultural properties, which is composed of 13 members with a specialty in the field of art, Korean history and preservation.
The CHA is a special bureau under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which
4) elated Institutions
implements preservation, restoration, enhancement and public information of cultural properties.
R
- The Academy of Korean Studies
lation Commission r
- Kyuganggak Archives
- National History Compi
- Korean Institute of Korean History - Korean Studies Advancement Cente
- National Research Institute of Cultural Properties
. Other Documentation
esides historic documentation such as films, modern d e vation Law (1995) Korea Film A . Archives
ain archives in Korea are the Kyuganggak Archives and the National
1) Kyujanggak Archives B
Other documentation b
ocumentation and so on, are promoted and preserved according to the stablished legal frameworks :
- Film Promotion and Preser
- Public Records Management Act (1999) - Library Promotion Law (2003)
The representative institutions are the National Library of Korea, the rchive and the Research Institute for Korean Archives and Records. 2
The two m
Archives and Record Services. The former holds old documents from the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910), while the latter holds comparatively modern documents of the Republic of Korea, including those from Japanese colonial rule, to the present time. (1910-present)
Kyuganggak Archives was established as the royal archives of the Choson
2) National Archives and Records Services (NARS)
Dynasty in 1776, and collected and preserved precious books and documents from the Dynasty. Its collection consists of approximately 150 thousand volumes of old books and more than 100 thousand other kinds of materials, including 5 national treasures and 8 treasures such as the “Annals of Choson Dynasty”, one of the MOW-registered heritages. In addition, computerized indexes and databases have been completed and online data retrieval through the internet is also available.
NARS was established in 1969. As a central records and archives management in p p th m a a A
stitution in Korea, NARS establishes public records and archives management olicies and provides guidance on and supervises public records management in ublic agencies. NARS also preserves national archival material to safeguard
e nation’s history, and provides access to the public. Its collection covers illions of governmental documents, drawings, audio-visual materials, microfilms nd publications. Approximately 1.3 million records have been entered into the utomated system in order to preserve the originals and to provide online access.
II. Memory of the World (MOW) Activities in Korea
ng a register of MOW and other pro
1) The 5
Memory of the World Programme in Korea, includi
motion activities, are implemented and coordinated through the Korean National Commission for UNESCO(KNCU). The main programmes are as follows:
th MOW Advisory Committee Meeting
Committee for the "Memory of the
2) egional Workshops
The 5th Meeting of the International Advisory
World" Programme (IAC) which was organized by KNCU in cooperation with Cheongju City, was held from 27-29 June 2001 in Cheongju City. Ten members of the IAC, three ex-officio members of the Committee and two representatives from UNESCO participated in the meeting. The purpose of the Meeting was to review the progress of the Programme and to assess the nominations for inclusion on the MOW register.
R
of the MOW Programme, KNCU and Cheongju City, with
of ‘Preserving Access to Paper-based
of
3) UNESCO Jikji/Memory of the World Prize Within the framework
the support of UNESCO, jointly organized the 1st and 2nd UNESCO Regional Training Workshop on the Preservation of and Access to Documentary Heritage in Asia and the Pacific in Cheoungju City, respectively from 5–8 June 2002, and from 4-7 September 2004. Around 10-15 professionals from some 10-13 countries in the region participated in each Workshop. The third Workshop is planned to be organized in next year.
The first Workshop, with the theme
Documents’ was organized to pursue the following objectives: to publicize the MOW Programme and its goals; to provide participants with an understanding of the nature and characteristics of paper-based documents and the need for their preservation and proper management; and, to impart practical knowledge of the preservation, restoration and digitalization of paper-based documents. The second Workshop was implemented with the theme of ‘Digitalization Documentary Heritage for Preservation and Access,’ and its objectives were to recognize the increasing amount of digital heritage in the world, to emphasize the need for an international campaign to safeguard endangered digital memory, and to provide participants with an understanding of digital heritage and the digitalization of documentary heritage as a means of preservation.
rize was established in April 2004 to fu
in
to als or institutions that have made significant contributions to the preserv
The UNESCO Jikji/Memory of the World P
rther promote the objectives of the MOW Programme and to commemorate the scription of the Jikji, the oldest known book of movable metal print in the world.
The Prize, consisting of an award of US$ 30,000, is given every two years individu
th P d S
established by UNESCO thanks to the financial contribution of Cheongju City, w
4) Others
e Czech Republic was awarded the first UNESCO/Jikji Memory of the World rize in recognition of its contribution to the preservation and accessibility of ocumentary heritage. The award ceremony took place in Cheongju city on 2
eptember 2005.
The Prize was initially proposed and supported by KNCU, and was officially here Jikji was printed.
In cooperation with Cheongju City and the Goethe Institute, the Exhibition of Jikji 5 October 2 C in m III. Nati 1. MOW Register
Hunmin-chongum Manuscript (The royal proclamation of the creation and use of the Korean alphabet) were selected to be OW Register in 1997. Two more pieces of Korean documentary
ion form, and final submission
2.
I ommittee for MOW has not yet been established, because KNCU and sub-committee on movable cultural properties within CHA actually play a nal Committee for MOW. Furthermore, due to very broad r
t
and the Gutenberg Bible was held in Germany from 22 September –
003, with an International Symposium on the Development of Early Printing ultures organized concurrently. The digitalization of Jikji was also implemented 2003 to ensure the accessibility and promotion of Jikji, the oldest edition of ovable metal type printing, which is preserved in the French National Library. onal Committee and MOW Register
The Annals of Choson Dynasty and the included in the M
heritage were registered in 2001 during the 5th MOW Advisory Committee Meeting held in Cheongju from 27-29 June 2001. They are Seungjeongwon Ilgi (The Diaries of the Royal Secretariat) and Buljo Jikji Simche Yojeol (the second volume of the Anthology of Great Buddhist Priest Zen Teachings).
The official process of nomination of Korean heritage to the MOW register is arranged by the Cultural Heritage Administration(CHA). CHA implements the announcement, selection, preparation of the nominat
with consultation and assistance from KNCU. The selection is made by the sub-committee on movable cultural properties within CHA. In Korea, the official announcement of the MOW registration process was released recently to encourage holders of concerned property to submit proposals. After completing the pre-selection process, the nomination documents are to be submitted by the publicized deadline.
National Committee n Korea, a National C role similar to the Natio
ange of MOW projects it was very difficult to coordinate various institutions related o the projects. The relevant institutions within specialized fields pursue their roles
s h e P b p
Services, and renowned experts in the related fields. The possib
trongly and properly in promoting and preserving each kind of documentary eritage. However, the existence of a body that could collectively deal with the ntire field of documentary heritage is still required, to not only promote MOW rogramme in Korea but also to properly preserve documentary heritage in a roader sense. In this regard, the establishment of the Committee is considered ositively by KNCU.
When establishing, the Committee would consist of representatives from related governmental organizations, such as Kyuganggak Archives, the National Archives and Records
le functions of the National Committee would be the selection of nominations for the MOW register, approval of the usage of the MOW logo in Korea, participation of international MOW activities, fundraising for the implementation of domestic MOW activities and facilitation of information sharing and joint projects among related organizations in Korea.
