Early Printing in Korea - Acknowledgments

The Center for International Affairs (CEFIA) at the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) undertakes the task of promoting better understanding of Korea through development of materials on Korean history and culture as well as making sure that textbooks around the world are correctly presenting Korea. In doing so, I learned that it is hard for foreign students to understand Korea correctly due to too many incorrect contents or too little contents in various foreign textbooks.

This book is the second book in the Understanding Korea Series (UKS) covering the Korea’s early printing culture, Korea’s world-class cultural heritage. UKS aims at publishing books on Korea that go beyond being simply a popular guide to Korea and provide in-depth understandings on Korea from academic approaches. The UKS books will academically deal with various concrete topics related to Korean history and culture in general but written with general readers in mind.

This book demonstrates the excellence and rich features of early Korean printing culture. It begins with the origins of printing culture in the world and in Korea and development moving on to discuss in detail about woodblock printing and movable type printing in Korea that include many artifacts registered as memory of the world. Especially, the book contains illustrated discussion on the invention and development of metal movable type printing. Although this book is written to broaden the understanding on Korean culture, the contents are written from a bibliographic perspective making the book a valuable reference to students of Korean bibliography.

Many whom I cannot name here have helped in the publication of this book. I am grateful to them. I would like to thank Prof. Ok Yeong Jeong the author and National Museum of Korea, Gyeongju National Museum, Buyeo National Museum, Gaya National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Central Buddhist Museum, Samsung Museum of Publishing, Cheongju Early Printing Museum, Yonsei University Library, Korea University Library, Donga University Museum, Suwon Museum, Jangseogak at AKS, Yonhap News, Mr. Seo Jae-sik and Mr. Hong Incheon. Lastly, I give thanks to Prof. Christian J. Park for translating and Dr. Greg Sharzer for editing the manuscript.

I sincerely hope that this book will contribute to the better understanding of Korean culture and the raising the international community’s interest in Korea.

December 2013

Yang Young-Kyun, Ph.D.

Director of the Center for International Affairs