First lady introduces hanji as Korean and Czech national libraries sign MOU
Published: 21 Sep. 2024, 01:48
Updated: 22 Sep. 2024, 14:32
- SARAH KIM
- kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr
The event commemorated the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the exchange of ancient documents and manuscript restoration technology between the National Library of Korea and the National Library of the Czech Republic during President Yoon Suk Yeol's official visit to the Central European nation.
The presidential office said that the event introduced the merits of hanji, or traditional Korean mulberry paper known for its millennial durability and delicate flexibility, to the Czech Republic.
Kim Tae-hyo, principal deputy national security adviser, said in a press briefing Friday that following France's Louvre Museum and Italy's Vatican Museums, hanji is being widely used in the Czech Republic to restore ancient documents.
“We expect that this will contribute to the registration of hanji as a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” Kim said.
Hanji, which is made from mulberry trees and requires meticulous crafting skills, has been produced in Korea for a thousand years and passed down through generations.
First lady Kim on Thursday joined Yoon in an official welcoming ceremony and later visited St. George's Basilica, in Prague Castle, alongside with first lady Eva Pavlova, wife of Czech President Petr Pavel, to learn about Czech history and culture. Earlier, she joined Yoon and the Czech presidential couple for brief private talks and, in the evening, she and Yoon took part in a dinner banquet hosted by Pavel.
Yoon said at the dinner that during his visit to the Czech Republic, the two sides had decided to “expand the horizon of cooperation to areas such as nuclear power plants, advanced industries and science and technology,” and that “if cooperation between the two countries expands, the Korean community will also see greater opportunities for growth.”
BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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