UNESCO | Korea

UNESCO | Republic of Korea

The creation of the UNESCO/Jikji Memory of the World Prize is one of the fine examples of the excellent cooperation between UNESCO and the Republic of Korea.

The Prize was established in 2004, to further promote the objectives of the Memory of the World Programme and to commemorate the inscription of the Jikji, the oldest known book of movable metal print in the world. The Prize is awarded every two years to individuals or institutions that have made significant contributions to the preservation and accessibility of documentary heritage.

The Republic of Korea joined UNESCO on June 14, 1950.

The Gangneung Danoje Festival takes place in the town of Gangneung and its surroundings, situated east of the Taebaek Mountain Range on the Korean peninsula. It has been proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005. The

shamanistic ritual encompasses traditional music and Odokddegi folk songs, the Gwanno mask drama, oral narrative poetry as well as various popular pastimes.

The Pansori Epic Chant also received this honour in 2003 as well as The Royal Ancestral Rite and Ritual music in Jongmyo Shrine in 2001.

Another example of good collaboration is the establishment of the Online Learning Centre for Women (OLC) in Seoul. The creation of this centre is a part of the Sookmyung Women’s University Training Project, Asia-Pacific Women’s Information Network Center (APWINC). Its purpose is to promote gender equity by means of computer use in a knowledge-based information society. The OLC is made of various workspaces representing autonomous groups with a collaborative environment.

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