• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2023

The history of modern libraries in Korea is less than 150 years. Nevertheless, there are various issues about when the word library appeared, how it was transformed, and the name and overall appearance of the library opened by the Busanpo branch of the Nihon Kodo-kai during the enlightenment period. Therefore, this study analyzed and argued many issues. As a result, it was found that the word library appeared in poetry collections, tombstones, and diaries from the early Joseon dynasty. Although it was widely held that the library was first introduced by Yu Gil-jun's 「Seoyugyeonmun, 1895」, it appeared in Lee Hun-young's 「Iisajipryak」 and was also introduced in 「Hanseongsunbo, 1884」. And the first name given to the facility was Kodo library, which was opened by the Busanpo branch on October 10, 1901. Book club, reading club (library), Busan(Busan district) library, Kodo bookstore, Kodo-kai library, etc. which are described in many documents are all errors. The location of the library was a temporary house on a leased site in Seosanhajeong of Yongdusan mountain. And it is presumed that it has secured about one room and 1,000 Japanese and Western books, and provided fee-based services to Japanese residents. Although the Kodo library is not the first public library established by a Korean, it is undeniable that it was the first public library to exist in Korea. Therefore, when defining the character of the Kodo library, it is necessary to have a coolness and discernment beyond national emotions, historical conflicts, and ideological frames.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.96-107
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• 2016

This study is an attempt to trace the origins of Korean botanical gardens prior to the construction of the botanical garden in Changgyeonggung Palace. We trace the time period during which Korean intellectuals first understood and appropriated botanical gardens based on accounts found in travel journals. These were written by members of delegations sent to Japan, Russia, and Great Britain and by students who had studied abroad, such as Tchi-Ho Yun and Kil-Chun Yu, during the open port period from 1876 to 1910. This study shows that the term "botanical garden" did not appear in any of the travel journals and the delegations did not show much interest in them until the 1880s. Japan had planned to introduce the different types of botanical gardens to the delegations from the Joseon Dynasty, but the delegations left no official records or related accounts regarding their visits. In contrast, members of delegations who were sent to Russia, Europe, and America after the 1890s began to pay attention to botanical gardens. They considered botanical gardens as a representative and essential part of Western culture and attempted to introduce them in Korea as essential tools for academic development as well as for enlightenment. Although many Korean intellectuals' opinions about the necessity of a botanical garden did not actually lead to its construction during the open port period, such a movement was significant in that it strengthened the botanical garden's image as a symbol of civilization. Apart from tracing the origins of the botanical gardens in Korea, this study serves as fundamental research material for understanding the establishment of the Changgyeongwon Botanical Garden in 1909.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.167-178
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• 2021

For the preservation and efficient content sharing of 5 volumes (2,866 pages) of Yu Kil-Chun's book published in 1971, which provides an important collection of data for the study of modern Korean history during the late 19th century (enlightenment period of Joseon dynasty). The books were purchased and its preservation status investigated and documented electronically by scanning for permanent preservation of content and to determine the condition of preservation at the time of documentation. The degree of deterioration and damage, such as discoloration, hardening, breakage, and damage in these 50 years old modern printed books was quantified through image analysis and made attempts to visualize the damaged areas. It was observed that the degree of deterioration and damage depended on the material and the surface condition of the paper used, the degree of exposure to light, and the storage environment. The comparison of the preservation status at the time of the photographing (or scanning) and judgment as to whether or not the image under investigation was artificially modified was accomplished by comparing the electronically documented images of Seoyugyeonmun (西遊見聞) in Volume 1 of Yu Kil-Chun's works with images provided on other websites. Practical problems encountered while considering the effective preservation of electronically documented data and publicly sharing it, in the course of this study, with other academic researchers around the world were also summarized.