INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS TO STUDY ‘JIKJI’

[Anchor Lead]

The value of the oldest metal print book book Jikji is receiving the global spotlight again. An international project involving 25 institutions in Korea and abroad under the auspices of the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities is to begin a joint study into Jikji soon.

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Jikji was first discovered by Dr. Park Byeong-seon. It received recognition as the world's oldest metal print book to survive to this day, writing a new chapter in the history of printed documents. It's been half a century since its discovery, but the study into Jikji has been mostly conducted by domestic scholars.

[Soundbite] Lee Seung-chul(UNESCO International Centre for Documentary Heritage) : "Studies into Jikji have been funded by Cheongju City so far. They produced results, but ripple effects on the international community have been limited."

An international study into Jikji and the Gutenberg Bible is to begin soon under the auspices of the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities. It will involve 25 high-profile institutions from various parts of the world, including the University of Utah and the International Center for Documentary Heritage. The project, unprecedented in scale, has drawn media attention in the U.S.

[Soundbite] Randy Silverman(Preservation Librarian, Univ. of Utah's Marriott Library)

The goal of the project is to study the development of Asian and western printing using advanced technologies.

[Soundbite] Randy Silverman(Preservation Librarian, Univ. of Utah's Marriott Library)

The global study into Jikji is particularly meaningful because it will be overseen by an overseas institution for the first time.