Dankook University’s "Idusajeon" Now Available on Naver Dictionary Search Service

The First Online Dictionary Specializing in Idu in Korea

Dankook University is now offering a Naver search service for the Idusajeon (吏讀辭典), the largest Idu dictionary in Korea, compiled by its Institute of Oriental Studies.

Dankook University has launched the Idusajeon (吏讀辭典) search service on Naver. Dankook University

"Idu" (吏讀) is a writing system that uses the sounds and meanings of Chinese characters to represent the Korean language. It served as an important tool for recording history and culture from the Three Kingdoms period until the early 20th century. Even after the invention of Hangul, Idu continued to be widely used throughout society, including in government administration and private economic activities, and is now regarded as an essential resource for the study of ancient Korean studies.

The Institute of Oriental Studies at Dankook University compiled the "Idusajeon" in 2021, bringing together the results of its Idu research. The Naver search service, based on the Idusajeon, will be available for five years through the "Naver Open Dictionary PRO" until September 15, 2030.

The online Idu dictionary boasts the largest scale in Korea, featuring more than 4,200 Idu vocabulary entries and over 12,000 usage examples collected from 1,432 types of materials, including old books, ancient documents, and epigraphs. It provides a wide range of information, such as pronunciations from Idu learning materials, modern Korean interpretations, morpheme analysis, and example usage functions, allowing users to access comprehensive search results.

Examples of usage for 'Gapjeol' searched in Naver Two-Character Dictionary. Dankook University

Lee Jaeryeong, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, stated, "With the online service of the Idusajeon, anyone can now easily and conveniently search for and utilize Idu materials," adding, "We hope this will serve as a foundation for further deepening research into ancient Korean language."

Since 2017, Dankook University has also provided a Naver search service for the "Korean Sino-Korean Dictionary," which compiles native Korean Chinese characters, and this service will continue until 2027. In April of this year, the university released the "Korean Chinese Character Comprehensive Search System," a digital dictionary encompassing both Korean-style Chinese characters and Idu materials.

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