'4·19 Revolution' and 'Donghak Peasant Revolution' Records Inscribed in the Memory of the World Register

‘4·19 Revolution Records’ and ‘Donghak Peasant Revolution Records’ Registered as World Documentary Heritage
Total of 18 Items Including Existing 16 Cases

The inscription of the ‘4·19 Revolution Records’ and the ‘Donghak Peasant Revolution Records’ on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register has been confirmed. The final decision was made at the 216th session of the UNESCO Executive Board held in Paris, France, on the 18th.

The inscribed items include 1,019 records related to the April 19 Revolution, which was led by students in the 1960s, and 185 records related to the Donghak Peasant Revolution that occurred from 1894 to 1895.

Student Diary from Masan Area (1960.3.20)
Photo by Cultural Heritage Administration

The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, “The records of these historic events, which greatly contributed to the development of democracy in the Republic of Korea, have been recognized for their global historical significance.”

Earlier, from March to May 2017, the Cultural Heritage Administration decided on the Memory of the World inscriptions for the ‘4·19 Revolution Records’ and the ‘Donghak Peasant Revolution Records’ through a nationwide public contest. However, UNESCO temporarily suspended new inscriptions for four years starting in 2017 to improve its system, resuming in 2021. The application was submitted at the end of 2021, and the inscription was finalized this year.

Donghak Peasant Army Appointment Letter (1894) [Photo provided by Cultural Heritage Administration]

With these two additions, South Korea now has a total of 18 Memory of the World inscriptions. The existing inscriptions include ▲Hunminjeongeum (1997) ▲Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (1997) ▲Jikji Simche Yojeol (2001) ▲Nanjung Ilgi (2013) ▲Saemaul Undong Records (2013) ▲National Debt Repayment Movement Records (2017), among 16 others.

The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, “We will continue to actively discover valuable records that should be preserved globally, expand the number of Memory of the World inscriptions, and widely promote Korea’s excellent record culture both domestically and internationally.”

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