By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
Koreans will have a chance to see some of the world's most treasured archival heritages, such as the Gutenberg Bible, one of the first books printed in Europe, in their own backyard this summer.
Such treasures will be displayed in Daejeon and Seoul during the "2010 International Archival Culture Exhibition (IACE)" from June 1 to 6, according to authorities Sunday.
"It is the first time for Korea to host the event, which gathers items from archives around the world," President Park Sang-deok of the Daejoen-based National Archives of Korea said.
"We will do our utmost to make the event a success and promote Korea's status in the field of recordkeeping."
The six-day event will take place at the National Archive of Korea in Daejeon and at COEX, Seoul.
Korea has a long-standing tradition of recordkeeping, as represented by the seven treasures of UNESCO's Memory of the World, including "Hunminjeongeum," the first instruction book on Korean letters, and "Joseonwangjosillok," the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty.
Additionally, Korea has been noted for adopting online applications in preserving and sharing state records through public portals such as contents.archives.go.kr and www.pa.go.kr, an online repository of historical documents related to former presidents.
The main features of the 2010 IACE will include the international exhibition of archival culture and heritage; an industrial exhibition for displaying eco-friendly technology, equipment and cutting-edge IT solutions for records management; and an international forum for relevant experts from the International Council on Archives (ICA).
Founded in 1950, the ICA currently has a membership of 1,169 organizations specializing in archives from 190 countries.
The National Archives of Korea, which has more than 40 years of keeping historical documents, has been an active ICA member since 1979.
The institute is affiliated with the Ministry of Public Administration and Security (MOPAS).
On the occasion of its 40th anniversary in 2009, the Nation Archives hosted a number of important international conferences on records management.
One of its main tasks is to promote Korea's heritages overseas in line with the government's drive to utilize them as tools to improve the nation's image.