Presidential Archives Releases 25,000 Original Presidential Records Including Past Presidents' Directives

Published on the Presidential Archives website on the 26th

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Presidential Archives of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it will disclose over 25,000 original documents of presidential records, including ‘Instructions and Meeting Records of Past Presidents,’ starting from the 26th through the ‘Presidential Archives website.’

Until now, the Presidential Archives has steadily converted non-disclosed presidential records into public ones, and among the records newly made public this time, it decided to prioritize the release of original documents with high public interest and academic value.

First, about 17,200 instructions from President Rhee Syngman to President Lee Myung-bak were extracted in data form, allowing the general public to easily search and utilize instructions by president, date, and category. The Presidential Archives plans to first disclose the ‘Presidential Instructions’ and gradually supplement and provide records of implementation results based on these instructions.

Next, a database of schedules was built and provided, covering meetings with approximately 70,000 officials, politicians, businesspeople, and journalists during the terms of President Park Chung-hee through President Kim Young-sam. Notably, the interview records of President Choi Kyu-hah are remarkable for detailing the people the president met, the agenda of meetings attended, and even the individuals and times of phone calls made by the president.

In addition, about 16,000 original documents disclosed through information disclosure requests from 2013 to 2020 will also be released. These are provided based on 250 topics and keywords of high public interest, allowing easy access to records in various fields such as national crisis management, national land development, presidential handwritten documents, and administrative capital.

Director Shim Sung-bo said, “We plan to continue efforts to actively disclose original presidential records that can be made public, and we hope many people will take an interest in and use the presidential records.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.