Danwon High School Sewol Ferry and Traditional Food Records Nominated for Asia-Pacific Memory of the World Register

Review to Be Held in Indonesia Next June

Danwongo 4.16 Memorial Classroom Paper Records

The National Heritage Administration announced on September 15 that it has selected the "Danwon High School 4.16 Archive" and "Suun Japbang and Eumsik Dimibang" as candidates for inscription on the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register next year. After passing the review by the Korean National Committee for the Memory of the World on August 25, the application was submitted to the Asia-Pacific Regional Committee Secretariat on September 12.

The Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register is a documentary heritage program implemented at the regional level in Asia and the Pacific. South Korea currently holds six entries: "Plaques of Korea," "Ten Thousand People's Petition," "Royal Palace Plaques of the Joseon Dynasty," "Samguk Yusa," "Naebanggasa," and "Records of Overcoming the Taean Oil Spill."

The Danwon High School 4.16 Archive documents the lives of Danwon High School students who lost their lives in the 2014 Sewol Ferry Disaster, the public's mourning, and the recovery efforts of bereaved families and survivors. It is significant for recording the reality of the disaster from a civilian perspective, and the documentation process itself carries meaning for healing and recovery.

Suun Japbang Naiji

Suun Japbang and Eumsik Dimibang are records containing traditional culinary knowledge. Suun Japbang is the oldest existing private cookbook and was designated as a national treasure in 2021. Eumsik Dimibang is the oldest Korean cookbook written by a woman from a noble family, demonstrating the role of women in passing down knowledge.

The decision on inscription will be made at the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Committee (MOWCAP) General Meeting, which will be held in Indonesia in June next year.