National Heritage Portal Korea Heritage Service (heritage.go.kr)

Overview

The National Heritage Portal (heritage.go.kr) is South Korea's official integrated digital repository for cultural heritage information, operated by the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), formerly known as the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA). It provides comprehensive public access to information about Korea's designated cultural properties, UNESCO-listed heritage, royal palace records, museum artifacts, and intangible cultural heritage.

History and Founding

The portal was launched on January 1, 2014, when the Cultural Heritage Administration consolidated content from numerous subsidiary websites into a single accessible gateway. At launch, approximately 1.8 million new pieces of data were added to the portal. The Korea Heritage Service itself traces its institutional origins to the Cultural Properties Administration formally established in October 1961, which descended from the Former Royal Properties Administration set up in November 1945. On May 17, 2024, the Cultural Heritage Administration was renamed the Korea Heritage Service, with a reported structural overhaul accompanying the name change.

Collections and Holdings

The portal is organized into four major service areas: the Cyber Heritage Tour Service, the National Memory Heritage Service, the Cultural Heritage Exhibition Service, and the Cultural Heritage Learning Service. It houses detailed records on National Treasures, Important Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage, regional heritage, natural heritage, and UNESCO World Heritage and Memory of the World inscriptions from Korea. The portal includes high-resolution imagery, video documentation, three-dimensional simulations of architectural sites, and research data. Notably, it provides access to records on all five royal Joseon Dynasty palaces, royal tombs, and significant documentary heritage such as the Seungjeongwon Ilgi (Diaries of the Royal Secretariat) and Uigwe (Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty).

Access and Usage

The portal is freely accessible online in Korean, English, Japanese, and simplified Chinese. It serves researchers, educators, and the general public. The associated mobile app provides location-based cultural heritage information for visitors in the field.