2 Korean documents to be UNESCO world heritage

By Lee Hyo-won

Two Korean historical records will gain world heritage status in a U.N. listing, officials said Wednesday.

Ilseongnok, a journal of ancient kings’ daily lives, and documents on a 1980 democratic uprising in the southern city of Gwangju will enter the Memory of the World Register, according to the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The decision follows a UNESCO advisory meeting held Monday in Manchester, the United Kingdom. Though the official entry will be made in two to three months’ time, statements made by the International Advisory Committee (IAC) are deemed final.

Ilseongnok is a record of the daily lives of monarchs and state affairs during the late Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

King Jeongjo first began the recording in 1760 as a private diary and later expanded it to chronicle state and national affairs.

Comprising of 2,329 original volumes, the document covers 151 years until the fall of the kingdom in 1910. Members of the royal library also contributed to the text.

Listed as Korea’s National Treasure No. 153, the books also document cultural and political exchanges between the East and West from the 18th to 20th centuries. Thus, the officials said, the records hold historical importance not only for Korea but also the rest of the world.

UNESCO also added texts and photos documenting a massive rally against military rule in Gwangju on May 18, 1980.

The collection consists of government and police documents, court records, statements from civic organizations, photographs, notes by journalists and medical treatment records of those injured during the armed suppression. The records provide insight into a pivotal moment during the country’s transition to democracy.

With the recent additions, South Korea will have nine written records listed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, including the original manuscript of the Korean alphabet, hunminjeongeum.

Established in 1992, the Memory of the World program seeks to protect the world’s valuable documents and records and facilitate public access to them through the Internet.

As of April, a total of 193 documents from 83 countries were protected by the UNESCO program.