By Kim Ji-myung
At the recent pre-summit working level meeting held in Gaeseong, they agreed to carry out an eighth joint survey and historical preservation effort at Manwoldae between today and Dec. 27 this year.
The joint excavation of the Goryeo-era (918-1392) royal palace, Manwoldae, in the old capital city of Gaeseong has become a symbol of non-political and successful heritage activities. Between 2007 and 2015, seven joint excavation efforts were carried out at Manwoldae.
Joint cultural and academic projects and activities continued relatively steadily although inter-Korean political relations affected contact in all areas. Cultural heritage projects, like joint excavations of Buddhist temple sites or palace ruins in the north continued except in 2012 and 2013, despite frequent and long periods of severed dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang.
Looking back, the first talks on protecting cultural heritage between South and North Korea occurred in 1972, after more than two decades of national division. By the historical July 4 Joint Declaration, South-North Coordinating Committees were set up for political, military, diplomatic, economic, and cultural affairs. However, actual projects on historical relics started in August 1993 and the scholars from both sides first met at the first international conference on Goguryeo culture.
At the Manwoldae site, structures of 40 building wings and terraces have been confirmed. Some 16,500 relics were also retrieved from the site ― among them are five Goryeo period movable metal types.
In my February 13 article in 2015, I wrote about the story of 11 pieces of Goryeo period metal types, allegedly "the oldest movable type" created by humankind. The owner presented those types and the bronze kettle that contained them to the public in July 2013. He claimed they had been unearthed near Gaeseong.
The authenticity of the pieces ― the accuracy of the carbon dating of the ink, and whether these type pieces were actually used in printing the books they were contended to have printed ― were finally were disproved by the government in 2016. South and North Korea has only one metal type each. But if the five metal type pieces retrieved during the Manwoldae project in 2015-16 will be verified, there are now seven of them.
Let me introduce an unrequited South-North heritage project in which I was involved. During the port-opening period for Korea, roughly between 1880 and 1910, there were numerous nationwide movements and campaigns to enlighten the people and to resist against foreigners and maintain independence.
A team of researchers from Kyungpook National University and the Academy of Korean Studies had a plan to survey the North Korean university for an archive of the 1907 National Debt Redemption Movement. As direct cooperation with a North Korean university was found to be impossible, the project was re-designed to included Yanbian University in China as a coordinating institute. The project awaits a new impetus to begin again.
The newspapers from 1907-1910 carry stories of the astonishing campaign throughout the country. Anti-Japanese education campaigns and activities outnumbered those of the southern area in some part of the northern region where many patriotic leaders and activists were produced. As of now, there are few original artifacts from the northern part, and there is high hope to find valuable documents through a joint survey.
The Archives of National Debt Redemption Movement was listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World in October 2017. UNESCO's Memory of the World program and its International Register program began in 1992 first to protect cultural heritage from destruction by war, social upheaval, or neglect and natural disasters, as well as by a severe lack of resources. It also aims to have a valuable and historical memory of the world accessible to all mankind so that they can be shared. A major step was taken in 2015 when documentary heritage in digital form was also included as the target of the programs.
How well are the records of those heroes and events preserved in repositories, archives, or museums of North Korea? There is a discouraging story that almost nothing above ground remains after the heavy bombing during the Korean War. Paper artifacts are vulnerable to moisture, sunlight, and pests. But I still hold hope with my fingers crossed.
The writer (heritagekorea21@gmail.com) is the chairwoman of the Korea Heritage Education Institute (K*Heritage).
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The joint excavation of the Goryeo-era (918-1392) royal palace, Manwoldae, in the old capital city of Gaeseong has become a symbol of non-political and successful heritage activities. Between 2007 and 2015, seven joint excavation efforts were carried out at Manwoldae.
Joint cultural and academic projects and activities continued relatively steadily although inter-Korean political relations affected contact in all areas. Cultural heritage projects, like joint excavations of Buddhist temple sites or palace ruins in the north continued except in 2012 and 2013, despite frequent and long periods of severed dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang.
Looking back, the first talks on protecting cultural heritage between South and North Korea occurred in 1972, after more than two decades of national division. By the historical July 4 Joint Declaration, South-North Coordinating Committees were set up for political, military, diplomatic, economic, and cultural affairs. However, actual projects on historical relics started in August 1993 and the scholars from both sides first met at the first international conference on Goguryeo culture.
At the Manwoldae site, structures of 40 building wings and terraces have been confirmed. Some 16,500 relics were also retrieved from the site ― among them are five Goryeo period movable metal types.
In my February 13 article in 2015, I wrote about the story of 11 pieces of Goryeo period metal types, allegedly "the oldest movable type" created by humankind. The owner presented those types and the bronze kettle that contained them to the public in July 2013. He claimed they had been unearthed near Gaeseong.
The authenticity of the pieces ― the accuracy of the carbon dating of the ink, and whether these type pieces were actually used in printing the books they were contended to have printed ― were finally were disproved by the government in 2016. South and North Korea has only one metal type each. But if the five metal type pieces retrieved during the Manwoldae project in 2015-16 will be verified, there are now seven of them.
Let me introduce an unrequited South-North heritage project in which I was involved. During the port-opening period for Korea, roughly between 1880 and 1910, there were numerous nationwide movements and campaigns to enlighten the people and to resist against foreigners and maintain independence.
A team of researchers from Kyungpook National University and the Academy of Korean Studies had a plan to survey the North Korean university for an archive of the 1907 National Debt Redemption Movement. As direct cooperation with a North Korean university was found to be impossible, the project was re-designed to included Yanbian University in China as a coordinating institute. The project awaits a new impetus to begin again.
The newspapers from 1907-1910 carry stories of the astonishing campaign throughout the country. Anti-Japanese education campaigns and activities outnumbered those of the southern area in some part of the northern region where many patriotic leaders and activists were produced. As of now, there are few original artifacts from the northern part, and there is high hope to find valuable documents through a joint survey.
The Archives of National Debt Redemption Movement was listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World in October 2017. UNESCO's Memory of the World program and its International Register program began in 1992 first to protect cultural heritage from destruction by war, social upheaval, or neglect and natural disasters, as well as by a severe lack of resources. It also aims to have a valuable and historical memory of the world accessible to all mankind so that they can be shared. A major step was taken in 2015 when documentary heritage in digital form was also included as the target of the programs.
How well are the records of those heroes and events preserved in repositories, archives, or museums of North Korea? There is a discouraging story that almost nothing above ground remains after the heavy bombing during the Korean War. Paper artifacts are vulnerable to moisture, sunlight, and pests. But I still hold hope with my fingers crossed.
The writer (heritagekorea21@gmail.com) is the chairwoman of the Korea Heritage Education Institute (K*Heritage).
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