November 25, 2025
SEOUL – The Korea Heritage Service has submitted nomination dossiers for the Manuscripts of the Modern Korean Language Dictionaries and Naebang-gasa: Songs of the Inner Chambers to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, the agency said Monday.
The applications were delivered to the UNESCO Memory of the World Secretariat on Friday. Both documentary heritage items were endorsed as Korea’s official candidates on Sept. 19 by the Korean National Committee for the Memory of the World. The records will undergo evaluation by UNESCO’s International Advisory Committee, with final inscription to be decided during the UNESCO Executive Board meeting scheduled for the first half of 2027 in France.
The Manuscripts of the Modern Korean Language Dictionaries include one manuscript volume of Malmoe, a dictionary written between 1911 and 1914, and 18 manuscript volumes of the Comprehensive Korean Language Dictionary, created between 1929 and 1957. The collection reflects the early mother-tongue movement aimed at preserving the Korean language and strengthening national identity during periods of cultural and political suppression. The documents also trace Korea’s linguistic transition from Chinese characters to Hangul, contributing to the expansion of literacy and broader educational access in the 20th century.
Naebang-gasa, which translates to “songs from the women’s quarters,” is a unique body of handwritten vernacular literature composed, copied and shared among Korean women. The nomination comprises 567 works produced from 1794 through the late 1960s, illustrating the development of a multigenerational literary community. Scholars regard the collection as a rare record of women’s cultural agency, capturing their voices, creativity and lived experiences across social classes.
The Korea Heritage Service said it plans to continue identifying and promoting significant documentary heritage and expanding Korea’s presence in the Memory of the World Register, to raise global awareness of the country’s linguistic and cultural history.