• 2024-07-03

In an effort to promote international scholarly exchange and the preservation of ancient Chinese books, on March 20, 2024 the National Central Library and the Korean Studies Institute (KSI) met at NCL to sign a comprehensive collaboration agreement and another agreement to work together on the Chinese Union Catalog of Rare Books. These were signed by NCL Director-General Han-Ching Wang and KSI Director Chong Jong-sup. Both of them thanked Representative Cheng-kai Guo from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Busan who brought about this collaboration.

The Korean Studies Institute was established in 1995. It is located in Andong, a city with the nickname, the City of Confucians. Its aim is to “contribute to the development of human culture on a global and local scale by promoting Korean culture.” Through systematic research, collecting as many historical documents among the Korean people as possible, and conducting research on what is found, it promotes a creative means to pass on traditional culture. The Institute’s collection contains more than 650,000 books, of which 718 titles have been registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. KSI has developed into an important institution in Korea that promotes Korean studies and research. It is well known abroad.

NCL Director-General Han-Ching Wang stated that after signing the comprehensive MOU, the Korean Studies Institute will become NCL’s 29^th collaborating partner. Both parties can promote publication exchange, and engage in library information events together, such as having experts lecture or sharing scientific knowledge, experience or skills. Co-hosting exhibitions is also another option. Director-General Wang also pointed out that because the Korean Studies Institute has a rich collection of ancient Chinese books, both parties also signed another agreement today to collaborate on the Chinese Union Catalog of Rare Books. NCL has more than 94 collaborating partners on this project and hopes that their efforts will further add to the Chinese Union Catalog of Rare Books database. Special exhibitions will also be held in both countries so that both parties can continue striving for the preservation and use of ancient Chinese books, these wonderful assets of human civilization.

KSI Director Chong also stated that in recent years KSI has not only been engaged in promoting various projects related to Korean books and cultural legacy (such as continuing to research traditional culture and explain its value and significance, as well as guiding the research and development of Korean Studies various disciplines), but also in working toward digital research and welcoming in a new period of transition. It is hoped that through this trip to Taiwan and KSI’s interaction with NCL and Academia Sinica the end result will be an increase in scholarly contact, publication exchanges, personnel exchanges, and resource sharing.

In addition to signing the two agreements, both institutions exchanged replicas of rare books in their respective collections— Ryu Seong-ryong’s A Record of Corrections from KSI and a Yuan dynasty version of the Diamon Sutra (a national treasure) from NCL. After the meeting, arrangements were made for professionals to begin discussing the digitization and preservation of materials at KSI, as well as a report on the promotion of research. In the future, this collaborative relationship will not only bless both institutions but also researchers in both countries will be able to have deeper interaction through the digital resources that are created.