• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.82
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• pp.87-128
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• 2024

This paper offers a theoretical examination of the political role of records and archives, focusing on the ideas of German literary theorist Walter Benjamin. The study specifically explores how the advent of the age of technical reproduction has influenced the essential characteristics of records and how they transform into political tools. Reinterpreting Benjamin's concept of aura within the context of records, the paper investigates how the notions of aura and authenticity affect the political role of records in the digital era. By doing so, it analyzes the tension between the loss of authenticity in electronic records and the increased democratization of information access. Furthermore, the study explains the ways in which records are used either to uphold the legitimacy of power or as tools of resistance. Based on Benjamin's theoretical framework, the paper discusses how the reproducibility of records can simultaneously contribute to the democratization of information and increase the risk of manipulation and distortion. The research critically examines ethical issues that arise during the politicization of records, with a particular focus on case studies, and explores the practical role that records can play in mediating and resolving political and social conflicts. By applying Benjamin's theory to the archival context, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the political implications of records in the digital age, shedding light on the impact of archival practices on democracy and power relations in contemporary society.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.82
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• pp.173-229
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• 2024

An archive is a "representation of actions and activities" that bears different effects depending on its purpose and intention. Also, various archival practices reinforce the political nature of the archive including the subject's purpose and intention. Such effects are not confined to a single event and its records but extend to broader society through interactions. This process is demonstrated more significantly in social conflicts in which stakeholders archive their actions and decision-making process as they compete with other parties. This study examines such archive politics through a case study of the "Ssangyong Motors Strike" in 2009. In "Ssangyong Motors Strike", multiple stakeholders vigorously produced records that reflected each subject's perspective, purpose, and intention throughout the lifespan of the event-prior to, during, and after the primary incident. This article pays particular attention to two archive cases from ex-post investigation and fact-finding processes. One was produced by the Special Investigation TF of Seoul Bar Association and the other by the Korean National Police Agency's Fact-finding Committee of Human Rights Violations. The two cases illustrate the concept of archive effect and the representation of political and social accountability through archiving. This study argues that archives and archival practices induced by the Ssangyong Motors Incident had extended archive effects leading to communal restoration, healing, and social progress beyond the resolution of the immediate conflict and problems.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.76.1-76.1
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• 2013

고대 천문기록을 연구하는 과정에서 기록의 사실 여부와 함께 천문기록에 영향을 미치는 요소를 확인하는 것은 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 고대의 천문기록 중에서 관측 빈도수가 높은 유성과 유성우 기록을 통해 이들의 분포와 역사적 환경 요소와의 관련성을 알아보았다. 유성과 유성우 기록을 분석한 선행연구에 의하면 한국과 중국 일본의 고대 유성과 유성우 기록은 잘 알려진 주기 유성우의 특성을 잘 보여준다. 그러나 인접한 세 나라의 관측 기록은 시대별로 일부 다른 분포를 보이는데 이러한 이유를 알아보기 위해 세 나라의 역사적 환경과 천문기록 분포와의 상관관계를 조사하였다. 본 연구에서는 1200년부터 1700년까지 500년 동안의 왕조-왕위교체, 외부침략, 내란과 같은 역사 사건을 조사하여 중요도에 따라 세 등급으로 나누고 이들을 유성과 유성우 기록 분포와 비교하였다. 연구 결과, 한국과 중국 일본의 고대 유성과 유성우의 기록 분포와 역사적 사건과는 서로 관련성이 없는 것으로 나타났다. 이것은 세 나라의 고대 천문관측 기록이 정치적 사건의 영향을 받지 않았음을 의미한다. 고대 천문기록을 분석할 경우 역사적 사건이나 왕위교체 등의 사회적 영향보다는 시대별 천문기록의 분포개수를 고려한 가중치가 중요하게 고려되어야 할 것이다.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.39
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• pp.101-138
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• 2014

This study examined the influence and meaning of SNS as the hot topic of our time from the archival perspective and also studied the 'SNS records management'. The many users mean a high accessibility and utilization of SNS, which increase the influence and value of SNS as a record. Politically, SNS is a tool that strengthens the communication among the voters, politicians and the public while economically, it is a window to accept the complaints of the customers and a marketing tool. In addition, the voices of social minorities are also recorded unlike in the traditional media, which makes the SNS record a method to gain the social variety and diversity. SNS is a place of formation of collective memory and collective memory itself. Furthermore, it can play the role of public sphere. It also is a place for generation of 'big data' in an archival sense. In addition, this study has classified the SNS records management into primary and secondary management that include record management entities, subjects, periods, methods, and causes. This study analyzed the history, status, and the meaning of SNS to assess the values and meanings as the preliminary study for the future SNS record management studies.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.18
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• pp.281-315
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• 2008

This paper reviews recent records issues surrounding former president Roh Moo-Hyun's private possession of the copies of the presidential records in Korea. While the former president transferred his records to the National Archives of Korea, he copied his electronic presidential records and kept them in his house after the term. His retention of the "records copies" arouse critical records issues and criminal charges. In this paper, I examined the definition of presidential records and legal status of records copies, authenticity of electronic copies of public records in public and private records systems, nature and scope of presidential privilege of access to his records, and most importantly, political neutrality of national archives. I examined these issues comparing with foreign experience, especially that of the United States which has the Presidential Records Act like Korea. All issues are examined in the professional spirit of archives principles and archives ethics. Legal status of the electronic copies of presidential records is not firmly established and the criminal charge seems groundless. However, it is against public archives principles and ethics that private former president privately possesses and manages private information and national security information held in the electronic copies of the presidential records. Presidential Records Act of Korea provides an effective tool to protect the presidential records for 15 years and it should be respected. It is time to consolidate the public records management institutions in Korea, not to disintegrate them.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.18
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• pp.257-280
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• 2008

The purpose of this paper is reviewing the hot issue called 'draining away the presidential records' case occurred recently and finding the root cause why the state of affairs has been happened in Korea. Though the presidential records management law ensures the rights for the prior president to view his presidential records, the prior president has copied his presidential records produced while in office and moved to his private house at his retirement. He might have interpreted his right to his presidential records too broadly and done the 'draining away' them. There was a motive why the prior president did that at that time. The reason was because the National Archives didn't guarantee the services for right viewing the records to him who wanted to review his records from right after his retirement. The National Archives have judged the draining away the prior presidential records as illegal and accused a few public servants suspected to be responsible for the affairs. The formal accuser is the National Archives, but the actual accuser might be the current Presidential Secretariat. Whatever the results of juristic judgement are, the reason why the records management field should focus and treat this case importantly is that the collapse possibility of the protection wall needed essentially and critically to the Presidential records becomes very high. The root cause of this case might exist in the fact that the records and archives management organizations have not owned the political independence. But the National Archives has submitted the revised bill of the public records and archives management law which lower the position of the National Records Management Committee controlled under from the Prime Minister to the Ministry of Administration and Security. It might be hot concern that the records and archives management organizations have difficulty for keeping the political independence if the revision would be passed. Besides the political independence factor, the most important factor needed for the right records management is the establishing the professional specificity of records management. The specific action for the establishing professional specificity would be employing of specialists and introducing the open official appointment. But it was found from the reorganization after the governmental change that the professional specificity of the National Archives have been reduced. Although the policies introduced by the new government are worrying, it might be an inheritance from the prior government. If new government would build establish the institution for the political independence of the records and archives management organizations and expand the employment of the records management professions to the local government, these affairs can be not only the responsibilities but also the achievements of the new government.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.48
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• pp.210-252
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• 2016

Community creates, receives and preserves the records, which made the community members and the entire society remember their history. As for community archives, archival appraisal is very political activity because appraisal of community records means whose memory remain alive in history. This study aims to analyze archival appraisal theories from the perspective of community and community archives, and suggest appraisal model for community archives. This study begins with examining the meaning of community archives and appraisal related issues including; i) community identity and independence of archives, ii) struggle of memory and multiple narratives, iii) uniqueness of each community and its archives, and iv) community archives as memory process and social inclusion. At the next stage, it deals with the archival theories from Schellenberg's archival values theory to macro-appraisal, to investigate possible application of theories for community records appraisal. It finds that the societal approach of macro-appraisal have advantage to appraise the community records. This study finally suggests the appraisal model for community archives by modifying the macro-appraisal components as well as by complying the principles of community archives. The model consists of the purpose and object of appraisal, principle and basis of valuation, and cooperation model between mainstream repository and community.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.27
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• pp.89-118
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• 2011

This paper considers the relationship between memory and archives by exploring the concepts and meaning of archivist and archival description. The author considers the metaphor of archives as memory and relates our understanding of creation, arrangement, preservation, description, and use of records and archives. The author argues that archivists demonstrate their knowledge and background when they organizing and preserving records and archives.

• Journal of Korean Society of Archives and Records Management
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.215-231
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• 2009

In 1999, "Records management of public instituition Act" was enacted. Since then, records management system has been developed, but the level of records management is still low in reality. This article is to present suggestions in policy of national records management. To flourish national records management, 'governance' should be performed during policy propulsion and National Archives of Korea should be politically neutral and independent. In addition, records management system needs to be wide-spread, many different archives should be established, also archives should have archivists. Not only that, managers of archives need to cooperate and thrive with autonomy, decentralization of authority, and solidarity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.63-73
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• 1995

A remote telesounder system was manufactured to investigate the behavior and distribution characteristics of fish and was tested to verify its performance and effects int he set net fishing ground located off the Namhae island, Oct. 26~27, 1994. The activity pattern of fish was observed at the buoy station installed in a set net and it was also analyzed simultaneously at the remote base station on land located at distance of about 1.5km away from the buoy station. Several findings at both the buoy station and the base station were as follows: The images of color display monitor at the base station on land were very well coincident with the records observed at the buoy station. The lower part of slope net and bagnet fluctuated irregularly, and its variations were about 3.6m and 6.0m, respectively. In the daytime, the fish school entered playground, passed slope net with 5~7m depth, moved dispersedly at night and at twilight the entrance was rare. In the bagnet, in the daytime the fish school swam in the layer of 8m in depth, at night the fishes dispersed in the entire layer and at twilight they formed dense school. The fishes caught by the set net were about 500kg with 20 species. Anchovy was the most dominant species. In conclusion, the remote telesounder was a convenient and powerful system for investigating the distribution pattern and the swimming behavior of fish entering in set net.