Title: Registration of Korean Cultural Treasures as Parts of the World Heritages  
(View Top Part of Sheet)
Stamp Serial#
 2471 
KPC#
 C-1919 
Scott#
 2213-b 
Date of Issue
 12/09/2005 
Quantity
 850,000 
Denomination
 310 won 
Design
 Jikjisimcheyojeol 
Engraver
 Shin In-cheol 
Designer
 Kim Sojeong 
Image Area
 52mm x 36mmmm 
Perforation
 13 
Sheet Composition
 2 x 4 + 2
(On Top Part) 
Paper
 White unwatermarked
Printing process
and colors
 Offset, 6 colors +
Intaglio, 1 color 
Print
 Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation 
Description
In 1377, during the Goryeo dynasty, movable metal type was invented on the Korean peninsula, marking a milestone in the history of human civilization. During the succeeding Joseon dynasty, the world's longest history of a royal line (the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty), was written. In September 2001, UNESCO designated the two heritages of the two Koreas as the Memory of the World: Jikjisimcheyojeol, the oldest known book of movable print type in the world and Seungjeongwon Ilgi (The Diaries of the Royal Secretariat), an account of 288 years of the Joseon dynasty. Special postage stamps have been issued to commemorate this historic designation.

Jikjisimcheyojeol
The Baegunhwasang Chorokbuljo Jikjisimcheyojeol, called "Jikjisimcheyojeol" or "Jikji" for short, is a two-volume book that an aged Buddhist monk by the name of Baegunhwasang wrote in 1372 (the 21st year of the reign of King Gongmin), combining Buddhist literature. The monk's disciples had the books published on a movable type printing press at the Heungdeoksa Temple in Cheongju in 1377, which became the first printing press of its kind in the world. There are records that Koreans had developed metal type in the 13th Century. However, since such records are not backed up by any physical remains, Jikjisimcheyojeol is recognized as the first movable metal type in the world. The invention carries a great deal of historic significance, preceding Gutenberg's "42-line Bible" by 78 years. Gutenberg's movable type is considered to have played a significant role in ushering in the Renaissance and the religious reform by enabling mass printing.

Seungjeongwon Ilgi
Seungjeongwon Ilgi is a compendium of diaries written during the Joseon Dynasty. Of the total diaries written, 3,243 diaries have been preserved till now, covering from the year 1623 (the first year of the 16th king, Injo) through 1910 (the 4th year of the 27th king, Sunjong). Seungjeongwon was the Secretariat to the Kings in the early Joseon dynasty, in charge of delivering the instructions of the Kings to the outside world. The name of the office was later changed to Seungseonwon, Gungnaebu, Biseogam ,and Gyujanggak. Providing in-depth description of wide areas of the Joseon dynasty from politics to society, diplomacy, culture, and the military, Seungjeongwon Ilgi was also used as source material for the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, the official historical record book of the Joseon dynasty. Not only the world's longest record of its kind, with 242.5 million words, but also a primary source historical record, Seungjeongwon Ilgi is an invaluable work.