National Library of Korea NLK 국립중앙도서관

History and Founding

The National Library of Korea (Korean: 국립중앙도서관; NLK) traces its origins to 1923, when the Japanese colonial government established the Government-General of Chōsen Library in Seoul. Following the liberation of Korea in August 1945, Park Bong-seok reorganized and consolidated materials from multiple libraries in the area to establish the National Library of Korea in October 1945. In 1963, the institution was formally designated the National Library of Korea under the Library Act. The library moved to its current purpose-built facility in the Seocho District of Seoul in May 1988. A digital annex, the National Digital Library (Dibrary), opened in May 2009.

Collections and Holdings

The National Library of Korea is the largest library in Korea, housing more than 10 million volumes. Its collections include over 1,134,000 foreign-language books and several items designated as National Treasures of South Korea. Significant holdings include:

• Old and Rare Books: Korean classics, including the Donguibogam, designated as Korea's Treasure No. 1085 and listed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.
• Newspapers and Serials: Historical Korean newspapers dating to before 1960, and a rich collection of early modern Korean magazines from 1910 to 1945.
• Government Publications: Government gazettes from 1894 to 1948, and comprehensive records of major economic and policy documents.
• Korea-Related Foreign Materials: Materials written by foreigners prior to 1945 about Korea's history, economy, and culture.
• Digital Collections: Digitized full-texts of out-of-copyright works, including theses, literary works, textbooks, and cartoons such as Kim Seong-hwan's famous newspaper comic strip Mr. Gobau.

Notable Materials for Journalism and Media Research

The NLK's serial publication archive includes rare editions of early Korean magazines launched between 1910 and 1945, providing primary source material for researchers of colonial-era Korean journalism and media history. Its newspaper collection and digital archives are important resources for the study of Korean press history.

Access and Usage

The National Library of Korea is open to the general public. Visitors must register for a library card upon arrival; foreign nationals may use a passport for a day pass. The library's digital collections are accessible online through the NLK website, with full-text materials available free of charge where copyright has expired. The National Digital Library (Dibrary) provides access to over 264 million items from more than 800 libraries worldwide.