Magazine 'Hakwon' Founded in 1952 Donated to National Library of Korea... 'Depicting Student Life During Wartime'

The National Library of Korea announced on the 21st that it received the inaugural issue of the magazine "Hakwon" as a donation from the Hakwon Milal Scholarship Foundation. "Hakwon" is a magazine first published in November 1952, holding valuable historical data that sheds light on student life during the Korean War evacuation period. The National Library of Korea plans to digitize and make it publicly available.

"Hakwon" contains various articles that provide a glimpse into the lifestyle of that time. Articles such as "Visit to Seoul Evacuation Daegu United Middle School" reveal the determination of students who did not give up on learning despite harsh conditions. The inaugural issue also features the beginning of Kim Yong-hwan's serialized work "Kojubu Samgukji," which later continued into a standalone publication. "Kojubu Samgukji" was designated as a Registered Cultural Heritage by the Cultural Heritage Administration in 2014.

"Hakwon" ceased publication with the September 1979 issue after several suspensions and resumptions. It was re-launched in May 1984 but was discontinued again after issue 343 in October 1990. The Hakwon Milal Scholarship Foundation, which has been reissuing "Hakwon," decided to donate the inaugural issue to the National Library of Korea for permanent preservation. They also plan to donate over 30 other publications, including "KOREA," that they have published over the years.

Ha Bu-yong, Head of Collection Development at the National Library of Korea, stated, "We are encouraging a culture of donation to discover and preserve uncollected materials," adding, "We will continue to make efforts to preserve and pass on these valuable resources as national knowledge information assets and to utilize and provide them as research materials."