Confucian Printing Woodblocks
UNESCO World Heritage Site
On October 9, 2015 (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 12th World Record Site International Advisory Committee) registration was finalized and it is the 12th World Record Site in South Korea.
What's in it?
There are 718 types of wooden tablets deposited by Seowon out of 305 items, a total of 64,226 tablets stored at the Korea National Studies Promotion Institute.
It encompasses various fields including literature, politics, economics, and philosophy such as books of scholarship, books of psychology, genealogies and annals, books of precedent, historical books, books on children's education, and geography. It is a record of how knowledge of the Joseon Dynasty was created and spread, and the original can be seen with two eyes.
Community Publication by Public Opinion
A key value that UNESCO has highlighted is its unique approach to 'community publishing by public opinion'. A network of intellectuals leading to the literacy-academy-seowon-community gathered public opinion and decided whether to publish it, how much it would cost, and what the process would be.
This network has been around for more than 500 years and is regarded as a prototype of 'text communication' across time and space, in that the 'collective intelligence' that it has formed is embodied in the bookshelves.
Where can I see it?
The Confucian Bookplate is kept at the Andong Korean Studies Promotion Institute, and related exhibitions can be viewed at the attached Confucian Cultural Museum. At the 2026 celebration, it is also available as a world heritage woodblock printing and Hanji book making experience (Dosan and Byungsan Seowon).
Visit the official website for more information.