Memory of the World Programme in Korea. Korean National Commission for UNESCO

Transcription

1 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 Historic documentary heritage is preserved in the same manner as other kind of heritage, 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. The CPPL provides a comprehensive legal framework, such as a definition of cultural properties, the establishment of Committee on Cultural Properties, the designation of national cultural properties, protection, investigation and others. 2) Committee on Cultural Properties (CCP) The CCP currently consists of 90 experts in the field of cultural properties. The 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 2 nd 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. 3) Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) The CHA is a special bureau under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which implements preservation, restoration, enhancement and public information of cultural properties. 4) Related Institutions - The Academy of Korean Studies - Kyuganggak Archives - National History Compilation Commission - Korean Institute of Korean History - Korean Studies Advancement Center 1

2 - National Research Institute of Cultural Properties B. Other Documentation Other documentation besides historic documentation such as films, modern documentation and so on, are promoted and preserved according to the established legal frameworks : - Film Promotion and Preservation Law (1995) - Public Records Management Act (1999) - Library Promotion Law (2003) The representative institutions are the National Library of Korea, the Korea Film Archive and the Research Institute for Korean Archives and Records. 2. Archives The two main archives in Korea are the Kyuganggak Archives and the National Archives and Record Services. The former holds old documents from the Choson Dynasty ( ), while the latter holds comparatively modern documents of the Republic of Korea, including those from Japanese colonial rule, to the present time. (1910-present) 1) Kyujanggak Archives Kyuganggak Archives was established as the royal archives of the Choson 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. 2) National Archives and Records Services (NARS) NARS was established in As a central records and archives management institution in Korea, NARS establishes public records and archives management policies and provides guidance on and supervises public records management in public agencies. NARS also preserves national archival material to safeguard the nation s history, and provides access to the public. Its collection covers millions of governmental documents, drawings, audio-visual materials, microfilms and publications. Approximately 1.3 million records have been entered into the automated system in order to preserve the originals and to provide online access. All archival material will be uploaded into the system within five years. 2

3 II. Memory of the World (MOW) Activities in Korea Memory of the World Programme in Korea, including a register of MOW and other promotion activities, are implemented and coordinated through the Korean National Commission for UNESCO(KNCU). The main programmes are as follows: 1) The 5 th MOW Advisory Committee Meeting The 5 th Meeting of the International Advisory Committee for the "Memory of the World" Programme (IAC) which was organized by KNCU in cooperation with Cheongju City, was held from 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. 2) R egional Workshops Within the framework of the MOW Programme, KNCU and Cheongju City, with 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 Around professionals from some 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 of Preserving Access to Paper-based 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 of 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. 3) UNESCO Jikji/Memory of the World Prize The UNESCO Jikji/Memory of the World Prize was established in April 2004 to further promote the objectives of the MOW Programme and to commemorate the inscription 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 to individuals or institutions that have made significant contributions to the preservation and accessibility of documentary heritage. The National Library of 3

4 the Czech Republic was awarded the first UNESCO/Jikji Memory of the World Prize in recognition of its contribution to the preservation and accessibility of documentary heritage. The award ceremony took place in Cheongju city on 2 September The Prize was initially proposed and supported by KNCU, and was officially established by UNESCO thanks to the financial contribution of Cheongju City, where Jikji was printed. 4) Others In cooperation with Cheongju City and the Goethe Institute, the Exhibition of Jikji and the Gutenberg Bible was held in Germany from 22 September 5 October 2003, with an International Symposium on the Development of Early Printing Cultures organized concurrently. The digitalization of Jikji was also implemented in 2003 to ensure the accessibility and promotion of Jikji, the oldest edition of movable metal type printing, which is preserved in the French National Library. III. National Committee and MOW Register 1. MOW Register The Annals of Choson Dynasty and the Hunmin-chongum Manuscript (The royal proclamation of the creation and use of the Korean alphabet) were selected to be included in the MOW Register in Two more pieces of Korean documentary heritage were registered in 2001 during the 5 th MOW Advisory Committee Meeting held in Cheongju from June 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 nomination form, and final submission with consultation and assistance from KNCU. The selection is made by the subcommittee 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. 2. National Committee In Korea, a National Committee for MOW has not yet been established, because KNCU and sub-committee on movable cultural properties within CHA actually play a role similar to the National Committee for MOW. Furthermore, due to very broad range of MOW projects it was very difficult to coordinate various institutions related to the projects. The relevant institutions within specialized fields pursue their roles 4

5 strongly and properly in promoting and preserving each kind of documentary heritage. However, the existence of a body that could collectively deal with the entire field of documentary heritage is still required, to not only promote MOW Programme in Korea but also to properly preserve documentary heritage in a broader sense. In this regard, the establishment of the Committee is considered positively by KNCU. When establishing, the Committee would consist of representatives from related governmental organizations, such as Kyuganggak Archives, the National Archives and Records Services, and renowned experts in the related fields. The possible 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. 5