Gyeonggi-do's 'Doshi' Compilation Fully Launched... Research Topics to Be Identified in the First Half of Next Year

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province is actively promoting the compilation of the 'Gyeonggi Province History (道史)' to establish provincial identity and foster a sense of community.

The province plans to collect and organize historical materials centered on research topics to be uncovered in the first half of next year, aiming to compile research materials for the 'New Gyeonggi Province History' in 2024.

On the 26th, the province held the '2021 Academic Conference for the Compilation of the New Gyeonggi Province History' at the main conference room of the Suwon Gyeonggi R&DB Center with this purpose.

This was the first academic conference since the Gyeonggi Province History compilation, which had been suspended since 2009, was reinitiated following the establishment of the Gyeonggi Province History Compilation Committee in August last year. The conference was conducted by sharing the research directions considered by the committee and advice from external experts.

Professor Hong Young-ui of Kookmin University, a compilation committee member, analyzed the development process of Gyeonggi Province from prehistoric times to the modern era as cultural diversity and transformation, defining Gyeonggi Province’s identity as 'open and progressive.'

Another committee member, Professor Kang Jung-won of Seoul National University, explained the interrelationship between historical geography and folklore contained in history, emphasizing that the Gyeonggi Province History should include folk culture expressed through people’s behaviors. He also mentioned the necessity of collecting biographical data of various figures and building a digital archive.

External expert Lee Jung-hoon, director of the Northern Research Center at the Gyeonggi Research Institute, proposed promoting digital compilation work to continuously update information such as historical materials, cultural heritage, and regional status in line with the informatization era.

Additionally, Park Myung-ho, head of the Current Affairs Compilation Division at the Seoul History Compilation Institute, presented on 'Establishing Regional Identity through Seoul History Compilation,' and Lee Yeon-sim, standing member of the Busan History Compilation Committee, shared views on 'The Status of Busan History Compilation and the Importance of Regional History Research.'

Based on the contents shared at the academic conference and expert council meetings, the province plans to identify research topics for the Gyeonggi Province History compilation in the first half of next year. The Gyeonggi Province History Compilation Committee will conduct data collection and research activities centered on the identified topics, and the results will be compiled into the 'New Gyeonggi Province History' in 2024. This will mark the reissuance of the Gyeonggi Province History, which was first published in 1955 and discontinued after 14 volumes in 2009.

Yang Bo-kyung, president of Sungshin Women’s University and chairperson of the Gyeonggi Province History Compilation Committee, emphasized, "The compilation process should be pursued as a social duty to record Gyeonggi Province, the site of Korea’s modern and contemporary upheavals, from new perspectives and viewpoints, and to pass on its content and memories to future generations."

Kim Jin-gi, director of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the province, stated, "The Gyeonggi Province History compilation project is an initiative to establish Gyeonggi Province’s identity and restore the homogeneity of its residents through historical research. We will actively review the matters discussed at the academic conference as a reference for discovering topics for the Gyeonggi Province History."

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