Center for Classical Korean Materials

Introduction

Classical Korean materials are scattered across a multitude of places and until recently it was difficult to precisely quantify them. Now however, a computerized system that displays a list of classical materials housed in each relevant organization has been developed, but it will take some time until a comprehensive inventory can be compiled. A list of classical texts in the possession of each institute or university has been made and a collection of these lists has been published, but the creation of detailed descriptions of major materials and the digitization of their original images, which can only be performed after cataloging is complete, are still a work in progress.

Although it has been helpful to introduce the classical Korean materials held by other countries and their approximate quantity to Koreans, a simple list is not enough to satisfy the intellectual needs and curiosity of the public and of researchers. In order to understand the specific contents of these materials beyond the basic information available on the list, their detailed descriptions and original images must also be provided. In particular, the fact that these materials are in the possession of foreign institutes make this research project more urgent.In this context, our project of making available overseas classical Korean texts through the creation of detailed information regarding them and their digitization will proceed through the production of a thorough catalog of classical Korean materials held by other countries.

For highly valuable materials and major texts, detailed descriptions are created by specialists, and their original images are also digitized.

The Center for Classical Korean Materials also strives to enhance the value of the database by sharing the materials collected in this process with domestic metropolitan and regional research centers participating in the classical Korean material DB project. Along with the Center for Classical Korean Materials, the Academy of Korean Studies (central hub), the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies, the Jangseogak Archives, and the Yeongnam and Honam regional centers are participating in this project. In addition, our research center is endeavoring to establish a system of academic cooperation with overseas research institutes and public libraries holding classical Korean materials, and to maintain these cooperative relationships.

The Center for Classical Korean Materials conducted a research project focused on the classical Korean materials in the possession of the University of California, Berkeley, in the U.S. from November 2008 to June 2011. Since July 2011, it has been working on another research project focused on the classical Korean materials held by the Oriental Library in Japan.

 

History

Feb. 2012 The first field survey on classical Korean materials in the Oriental Library in Japan held
Feb. 2012 An academic agreement and joint research contract with the Oriental Library in Japan signed
Sep. 2011 Lecture of renowned overseas scholar hosted
Lecturer: Yukio Fujimoto (藤本幸夫), professor in the Department of Language Education and Research
at Reitaku University in Japan
Jul. 2011 The second year research project for the Korean Studies DB project concluded
Jun. 2011 The first year research project for the Korean Studies DB project concluded
Apr. 2011 A conference with the theme “The Academic Value of Classical Korean Materials
in UC-Berkeley and the Achievements of the Digitization Project” held
Aug. 2010 The third year research project for the Korean Studies DB project commenced
Mar. 2010 A presentation at the AAS conference (in the CKS section) given
Sep. 2009 The second year research project for the Korean Studies DB project commenced
Aug. 2009 A Catalogue of the Classical Korean Materials Collection in the UC Berkeley East Asian Library published
Mar. 2009 An academic agreement and a joint research contract with the UC-Berkeley East Asian Library signed
Nov. 2008 The Center selected as a regional research center for the Korean Studies DB project
The first year research project for the Korean Studies DB project commenced
Jul. 2007 The second field survey on classical Korean materials in the East Asian Library at UC-Berkeley held
Jan. 2007 The first field survey on classical Korean materials in the East Asian Library at UC-Berkeley held
Research Institute of Korean Studies (RIKS), Korea University
145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Korea
Tel : 82-2-3290-1610~1613 / Fax : 82-2-926-8385