By Lee Kyong Mi and Yoon Sojung

UNESCO's International Center for Documentary Heritage (ICDH) will be built in the Korean city of Cheongju in Chungcheongbuk-do Province.

The National Archives of Korea, part of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, announced on Nov. 7 that UNESCO made the final decision to build the ICDH in Cheongju at its general conference that took place in Paris on Nov. 6. 　

The new center, the first in the world to focus on recording heritage items, aims at effectively supporting UNESCO’s world record heritage project, boosting international capability for safe preservation, and universal approaches for recording heritage from around the world. Its main functions include developing and conducting research into measures to preserve and approach a record of world heritage, promoting world heritage recording projects, and ongoing management of the listed world heritage items. .

Cheongju, the host city, is the birthplace of the Jikji simche yojeol, also known simply as the Jikji, the oldest existing movable metal type printed book in the world.

The city created the “Jikji Memory of the World Prize” in 2005 and every other year has been awarding the prize to organizations or individuals that have contributed to preserving records of world heritage. Winners include the National Library in Czechia in 2005, and the Phonogrammarchiv of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in 2007.

The National Archives of Korea, which has been working with Cheongju City on winning the bid for the ICDH, will lay the foundation of the center by reshaping the organization and by providing financial support in order to finish construction by 2019.

Cheongju City will be in charge of providing the land and the facilities.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Kim Boo Kyum said, “Amid the delicate interests of many countries regarding the enlistment of the world heritage record center, it is quite meaningful to win our ICDH bid.”

“When the ICDH is in full swing, it will help UNESCO form systematic cooperation with its member countries, and make future-looking responses when related issues arise,” said the minister.

km137426@korea.kr