Kyungnam University and University of North Korean Studies Publish 200th Volume of North Korea Annals ... New Horizon in North Korea Research

Kyungnam University and the University of North Korean Studies have published the 200th volume of the "Bukjoseon Sillok," a chronological collection of historical materials for North Korea research, which is the first of its kind in the world.

Publication of 200 volumes of the Annals of North Korea.

Since 1947, North Korean authorities have systematically controlled and distorted the storage and access of documents, making the systematic organization of primary sources essential for North Korea research. In response, the "Bukjoseon Sillok" was first launched in July 2018 with an initial batch of 30 volumes.

After more than 20 years of preparation, the "Bukjoseon Sillok" has reached its 200th volume in just over six years. It compiles materials to serve as the foundation for North Korea research, organized by year. These materials include North Korea’s major official newspapers such as "Rodong Sinmun," "Joseon Inmingun," and "Pyongyang Sinmun," as well as sector-specific magazines, overseas periodicals, diplomatic documents, and diaries collected from around the world, all arranged in a chronological format. The collection is further enhanced with relevant photos and footnotes to increase the reliability of the materials.

Information about North Korea that is widely circulated in academia, media, and culture is mostly limited to "Pyongyang" or consists of unverified data. In this environment of uncertain "North Korean knowledge and information overload," this collection, which has been value-assessed by experts, helps users to ▲ analyze North Korea’s system, leadership, and ideology ▲ and compare and analyze the values, behaviors, and institutions of its residents.

It also allows for flexible analysis and interpretation of temporal and regional characteristics, and enables material-based examination of contrasting narratives and claims. Views that have previously asserted "absoluteness," "unconditionality," or "inevitability" can now be critically evaluated, and if there are points of contention among scholars, this collection serves as a foundation for assessment.

Distinguished scholars from Korea have participated in the "Bukjoseon Sillok," including Park Jungjin, Vice President of Kyungnam University in Seoul; Shin Jongdae, Professor at the University of North Korean Studies; Park Sunseong, former Professor at Dongguk University; Jung Yongwook, Professor at Seoul National University; Jung Byungjun, Professor at Ewha Womans University; Lee Manyeol, former Chair of the National Institute of Korean History; Choi Hyungyu, President of the Council for Unification Science and Technology Research; and Jung Changhyun, Director of the Peace Economy Research Institute. Internationally renowned scholars who have collaborated include Bruce Cumings, former Professor at the University of Chicago (USA); Masao Okonogi, Professor Emeritus at Keio University (Japan); Naoki Mizuno, Professor Emeritus at Kyoto University (Japan); Jin Yuqi, former Director of the Heilongjiang Party History Research Institute (China); Shen Zhihua, Lifetime Professor at East China Normal University (China); Park Yugu, Professor at Yanbian University (China); and Zhu Yong, Professor at Fudan University (China).

Kim Kwangwoon, Invited Chair Professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, who oversaw the planning, source selection, annotation, and overall execution of the "Bukjoseon Sillok," emphasized, "The average length of each volume is 980,000 characters and 800 pages. The total character count for all 200 volumes is approximately 196 million, which far surpasses the Hangul translation of the 'Annals of the Joseon Dynasty' in terms of information volume."

He added, "History is the culmination of past experiences and a 'repository of knowledge and wisdom' needed for us today. By explaining the causal relationships according to the timing and chronological order of events, I hope that this 'collection of historical materials,' which has been value-assessed by experts, will be widely utilized both domestically and internationally."

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