From Woodblocks to the Internet

In Korea, the movable metal type printing technique was invented
in the early thirteenth century during the Goryeo Dynasty.
One of its notable works, Baekunhwasangchorok Buljo
jikjisimcheyojeol, usually abbreviated to Jikji (the Selected
Sermons of Buddhist Sages and Seon Masters),
was printed at the Heungdeok Temple in
Cheongju in 1377 and is now kept in the
French National Library.
It is the oldest extant movable
metal type printing in the world,
and this book proves the high
intellectual levels of people during
the Goryeo period.

UNESCO and Jikji

UNESCO
UNESCO is the specialized institution of the UN for the purpose of the forever peace by promoting international understanding and cooperation in the field such as education, science, culture and communication. Human beings were aware of that, through the past 2 world wars, the direct reason for wars was not political, military or economic conflicts between countries, but intellectual, cultural conflicts from each nation's distrusts and prejudices. As a result, human beings believed that the intellectual elevation and the promotion of mutual understanding were a basis for the peace, and thus UNESCO was established for the purpose of promoting international peace and human beings' welfare, which is declared by the UN Charter, under the mindset that peace should be constructed on human beings' intellectual and moral association. These days, UNESCO is and called another UN consisted of 186 countries. UNESCO is performing a lot of activities through the close cooperative relationship with many international institutions as human beings' Intellectual Community. One of them is and . UNESCO tries to seek for international peace and human beings' welfare through common heritage of mankind. This activities are excellent.

World Cultural and Natural Legacy
UNESCO believes that the international cooperation is necessary for the preservation of world legacy having universal and international values. UNESCO enacted. World legacy is especially preserved by registering human beings' common heritages such as natural legacy, cultural legacy and compound legacy, according to the standards regulated by the Convention of World Legacy. The Convention of World Legacy was enacted in UNESCO's 17th Meeting in 1972, and started to be effective from 1975. South Korea joined in 1988. The cultural assets such as Jongmyo, Bulguk TempleSeokuram and Gyungpango in Haein Temple(in 1995), Changdukung and Hwasung(in 1997), Gyungju Historical Sites and Dolmen Legacy(Gochang, Hwasoon, Ganghwa)(in 2000) were registered in the List of World Legacy in 2001. North Korea joined in 1998, but didn't register any world legacy yet. The effect of registration in the List of World Legacy is an increase in domestic and foreign tourists, employment opportunities and incomes. As a result, it can improve the plan and management of the local areas with the interests of a government. Especially, this can form the national responsibility for preserving the areas and receive technical and financial supports of World Heritage Fund by inspiring the local and the national pride of world legacy.

World Registered Legacy
UNESCO has tried to preserve the World Registered Legacy through so that it makes the List of World Registered Legacy and prepares effective means for preservation since 1995. Memory of the World Program is running, according to General Guidelines to Safeguard Documentary Heritage prepared by UNESCO and IFLA. Memory of the World Program aims at Ensuring the preservation through the most appropriate means about the List of Registered Legacy keeping world-leveled importance and encouraging the preservation of registered legacy having national and local-leveled importance, Facilitating the accesses from world's various people through electronization and encouraging to use, Developing other materials based on registered legacy and spreading out to the world, Inspiring all the nations possessing the important registered legacy in terms of international view. The selection basis of Memory of the World is as follows: The first basis is Influence, Time, Place, People, SubjectTheme, Form and Style, Social Value and the second basis is Integrity, Rarity. The registered legacy satisfying this selection bases and approved by International Counsel Committee is permitted to be registered in Memory of the World. In 2001, the number of the individual registered legacy and collection books registered in Memory of the World are 69 from 32 nations. South Korea registered The Korean Script Haerye version, Joseon Wangjo Sillok(in 1997), Jikji, Seungjungwon Record(In 2001). North Korea didn't register any legacy yet. The effect of registering in Memory of the World is as follows: Preparing for the development to a legal entity that can be preserved internationally. Receiving technical supports of UNESCO about preserving. Using the emblem of Memory of the World, and receiving the persistent assistance through internet from UNESCO.

Jikji, The World Registered Legacy
The opinion that Metal printed Jikji kept in Hungdeok Temple is initially brought about from the academic seminar of UNESCO and Old printing cultures in 1996. The conclusion of this academic seminar is that Cheongju is the city of old printing cultures and that Jikji having international values should be registered in the World Registered Legacy. Jikji is at least 78 years earlier than Gutenberg's 2 lined Bible and 145 years earlier than China's Chunchubunro. This has enough values to become world registered legacy. Therefore, 42 legacies from 23 nations were nominated for world registered legacies in the 5th International Counsel Committee Screening(27-29 JUN 2001) in Cheongju, and finally registered in World Registered Legacy in SEP 4th 2001 by the consecutive efforts of Cheongju city, the Early Printing Museum of Cheongju, UNESCO Korea Committee, UNESCO Chungcheong Province Association and the related organizations.

Interview with The Chief of Cheongju Advisory Committee The future of Cheongju to the cultural city is bright.

Bendik Rugaas in Norway International Library took on the Chairman in The 5th Cheongju UNESCO Advisory Committee Meeting held in Cheongju, following the 4th Review Meeting, from 27th to 29th in JUN 2001. We interviewed with Benkik Rugaas and heard about the background and screening process of registering Jikji in the World Registered Legacy.

-Can you tell me your impression of the results and Cheongju?
"We could get very good results such as selecting 21 legacies through the meeting in Cheongju where the oldest Metal Printed Book in the world was born. I also confirmed that the future of Cheongju, the print-cultural city, and world registered legacy are very bright when I saw lots of children visiting the Early Printing Museum of Cheongju."

-In order to be selected to the World Registered Legacy, they should pass a few major selection bases such as the effects and social values. Which bases did Jikji pass?
"Jikji is the oldest existing Metal Printed Book. It has influenced on human beings and spread out, so it was recognized to be the most influencable legacy. Additionally, the rarity was mainly considered in selecting it, because there is only one volume in France right now."

-I heard that Jikji and Gutenberg's Bible were selected in this screening simultaneously,
"Jikji and Geternberg's Bible are the oldest existing eastern and western Metal Printed Books, respectively. They have changed human beings' recording cultures completely. UNESCO Advisory Meeting recommended them to be registered under the spirit of The Memory of The World. After going back to UNESCO Headquarter, I will try to seek for the ways that can spread and preserve the old printing cultures."

Summary for the Preservation of our World Heritage

Title : Preservation of our World Heritage

Purpose
The preservation of our world heritage is to be undertaken with the support of proper technology. This effort for preservation intends to promote international recognition for the said project, to stimulate necessary preservation using new technology and to encourage the people to take part in the goals of the project. General goals of the project: Preservation, access, supply of derived products and awareness.

Significance
Valuable international documents and transcriptions collected are kept in libraries and bookstores such as are books, newspapers, posters with recording data and images, print, map, music without recording data, digital image data and all kinds of electronic data included.

Recording Effect
Preparation to form the legal organization to get protection from the international organization and preservation of our world heritage. Financial and technical support from the [please spell out] UNESCO for the preservation of our world heritage. Using our own LOGO of world record inheritance and promoting our public information through the UNESCO Using digital technology using CD-ROM and tape to give the public access to our world heritage.

Source from http://www.jikjiworld.net (The Early Printing Museum of Cheongju)