National Archives of Korea (NAK)

Overview

The National Archives of Korea (NAK) is South Korea's central agency for government records management, headquartered at the Government Complex in Daejeon with additional branches in Seoul, Daejeon, and Busan, and a Presidential Archives. It is affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and is charged with collecting, preserving, and providing public access to major national records.

History

NAK opened its doors in 1969 as the country's central records and archives management organization. Since 2015, it has ingested digital records directly from government agencies, focusing on records of enduring value designated for preservation beyond thirty years, which are transferred to NAK roughly ten years after their creation. In 2012 the archive built an Administrative Repository at its Daejeon complex to collect and preserve permanent records from the Chungcheong, Jeolla, and Jeju regions.

Collections, Holdings, and Publications

NAK's core responsibilities include establishing national records-management policy and standards, operating electronic records management systems, and conducting research into records preservation technology. It operates the National Archives Portal Service (NAPS), providing thematic content, multi-source record searches, and online access to major historical records, including materials on the Korean War and the Korea-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty.

Access and Usage

The Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade may open materials more than 30 years old, and South Korea's Act on Disclosure of Information by Public Agencies, in effect since January 1998, gives citizens and foreign residents the right to request access to government records, with exceptions for national security.