International Cooperation and Public Relations Team

National Library of Korea

Amidst the growing international popularity of Korean Studies, the National Library of Korea (NLK) is playing a central role in expanding the reach of Korean Studies scholarship and Korean materials around the world. This article describes some of the programs that the library is providing to help advance Korean Studies and Korean Studies collections around the world.

1. Digital materials service: Supporting access to Korean Studies materials

The NLK provides a wide range of Korean Studies materials in digital formats to international libraries and researchers. Fostering access to Korean materials without limitations of borders, this service includes government publications, music scores, and academic resources.

The NLK’s digital collection consisted of 10,672,444 items and 430 million pages as of December 2023. It includes various types of materials, such as old books/documents, old maps, textbooks, thesis papers, government publications, newspapers, magazines, and music scores.

These materials can be viewed through the Digitized Resources on the NLK’s English website (www.nl.go.kr/EN). Users can perform keyword searches to find their materials of interest and view them by clicking the View Full-Text button.

Access

Resources in the public domain or those that are made available by their copyright holders for free use can be viewed through terminals at the NLK’s partner libraries. Any copyright fees associated with viewing and printing original texts is borne by the NLK.

How to become a partner library

For overseas libraries, the procedures for becoming a partner library and accessing the NLK’s digital resources are as follows:

The NLK’s digital materials service allows researchers from across the globe 24/7 access to Korean resources, contributing to the growth of Korean Studies research.

2. The Visiting Scholar Program provides a home base for overseas Korean Studies researchers

The Visiting Scholar Program at the National Library of Korea was incepted in 2021 to support overseas Korean Studies researchers and allow them unrestricted access to the NLK’s collections for their research.

Korean Studies researchers from overseas universities or research institutions who are engaging in research fellowship programs that require residency in South Korea and who plan to remain in the country for research purposes for three months or longer are eligible for this program. This program is limited to those who have completed at least a doctoral program. Once approved, applicants will receive complementary research information services from the library for one year.

The support provided by this service includes a designated seat in the library, access to both physical and online collections of the NLK, provision of research materials through interlibrary loans and purchase, access to seminar rooms, and research capacity-building training. The duration of the service is one year, but is negotiable depending on the researcher’s scheduled stay in the country. Researchers who receive this service are required to make a presentation on their results at the Research Information Service workshop held in December. A recorded presentation is allowable.

The number of program participants was one in 2021, one in 2022, two in 2023, and two in 2024. Early in each year, the library sends out invitation letters to related organizations, including the Korea Foundation, the Academy of Korean Studies, the Korea University Research Institute of Korean Studies, and the Pony Chung Foundation, in an effort to recruit applicants. Interested scholars should submit an application form for the Research Information Service, a research plan, and proof of fellowship at a domestic research institution to rink@korea.kr. In the case of multiple applicants, the library selects one and refers the rest to other support programs for overseas researchers.

3. INKSLIB: The core of the network of Korean Studies libraries

The International Network for Korean Studies Libraries (INKSLIB) is a website operated by the NLK with a goal of promoting information exchanges among Korean Studies libraries around the world. It currently has 342 members that it provides with information on Korean Studies and on the NLK’s international support programs.

INKSLIB also publishes the INKSLIB Webzine twice per year (June and December) to share information on overseas Korean Studies and other research trends in Korean Studies. The website has an ‘Ask a Librarian for Librarians’ section in which users can pose questions about the NLK’s collections or request help in locating a particular material within South Korea. The goal of this service is to improve overseas Korean Studies researchers’ access to materials that are not available outside South Korea

As a key platform for supporting interactions between Korean Studies researchers and librarians, INKSLIB continues to foster cooperation and the sharing of information among members and to support the advancement of Korean Studies and Korean Studies libraries around the world.

4. The Workshop for Overseas Korean Studies Librarians strengthens expertise and encourages networking among Korean Studies librarians

Launched in 2005, the Workshop for Overseas Korean Studies Librarians aims to help enhance related expertise and support a global network of Korean Studies librarians. As of 2024, a total of 272 librarians from 36 countries had participated in this workshop. The feedback from participants is highly positive, indicating that it is a successful venue for interacting and exchanging information with Korean Studies librarians around the world.

The workshop focuses on helping participants with practical skills for managing Korean Studies materials in their day-to-day activities. It includes lectures on the management and use of Korean Studies materials and also on old Korean books, the history of Korean painting, popular culture in Korea, and the latest research trends in Korean Studies. The program also fosters cooperation and information exchanges among participants.

The 2024 workshop invited library administrators to discuss the international distribution and use of Korean Studies materials. The workshop is held every five years for administrators, but in other the years it invites around 15 Korean Studies librarians. The Workshop for Overseas Korean Studies Librarians will continue to serve as a venue for promoting exchanges among Korean Studies librarians and supporting the improvement of the Korean Studies research environment.

5. Window on Korea: A venue for distributing Korean Studies materials around the world

Window on Korea (WOK) is one of the NLK’s flagship Korean Studies programs. It supports the installation of a Korean section in libraries around the world and provides them with Korean Studies materials in order to better support Korean Studies research. The WOK program selects one or two overseas libraries every year to fund the installation of a Korean section (up to US$20,000) and provide related materials.

The goal of the WOK program is to strengthen the foundation for Korean Studies research and increase access to Korean Studies materials by overseas students and researchers. Libraries at universities that offer Korean Studies courses and/or have Korean Studies collections are eligible for the program.

As of December 2024, a WOK has been installed in 36 libraries in 30 countries and continues to be in operation in 28 libraries. In 2025, a WOK will be installed in the library of the University of Salamanca in Spain. An invitation to apply for a WOK is posted on the INKSLIB website every year.

6. Resource support for overseas Korean Studies research institutions

The NLK annually sends over 7,000 books to 65 Korean Studies research institutions in 20 countries. This program acquires materials published in South Korea and distributes them to overseas Korean Studies research institutions.

Libraries at universities with Korean Studies courses or programs, Korean Studies research institutes, and academic and cultural organizations with a focus on Korean Studies are eligible for this program. The application form can be downloaded on the INKLISB website (Go to NLK Project and to NLK Material Support on the website). The completed application form should be sent to exchange@korea.kr.

Conclusion: The National Library of Korea, a key partner for the global Korean Studies community

The NLK plays a critical role in fostering cultural exchanges and access to Korean Studies research and materials around the world through a number of programs, including the Window on Korea, the Workshop for Overseas Korean Studies Librarians, INKSLIB, digital materials service, and the Visiting Scholar program. Each of these programs is positioned to serve as a key driving force for the global expansion of Korean Studies.

The NLK will continue its dedicated efforts to support the advancement of Korean Studies around the world.