Gyeongnam Cultural Heritage Designation: Donggi Kim of Uiryeong Cheonggeumjeong Donates Over 1,000 Ancient Texts to Pusan National University Library

Donation Ceremony at Cheonggeumjeong and Presentation of Appreciation Plaques... Confucian Classics, Anthologies, Historical, Geographical, and Technical Books

Many Medical Books Including 'Donguibogam' and 'Uihakipmun'... 'Sosan Library' Established at Pusan National University for Research Use

Busan National University Library (Director Woo Gyun, Professor of the Department of Information and Computer Engineering) received a donation of 1,045 old books passed down through generations from Kim Dong-gi (87 years old) of Cheonggeumjeong, a house designated as a cultural asset of Gyeongnam Province in Uiryeong-gun, on the 20th.

The donated old texts from Kim Dong-gi include a variety of books in fields such as Confucian classics, literary collections, history books, geography books, and technical books. In particular, compared to other donated collections, the proportion of medical books is relatively high.

Among them, the "Donguibogam," a representative medical book of the Joseon Dynasty, the "Uihakipmun," used as a textbook for medical examinations during the Joseon period, and the forensic medicine book "Jeungsu Muwonrok Daejeon" are expected to be very important materials for researching Joseon-era medicine. Moreover, although it is a handwritten copy, the "Sinpyeon Jipseongma Uibang" is a rare Joseon-era veterinary medicine book that draws attention.

The donor, Kim Dong-gi, said he decided to donate with the hope that future scholars at Busan National University would study history by examining these materials.

Kim Dong-gi stated, "I decided to donate with the hope of sharing the precious old texts of my family with future generations and that the students at Busan National University would deeply study history and scholarship through them," adding, "I hope these materials will gain academic value and be passed down for generations to come."

Cheonggeumjeong is a building constructed in 1916 by Kim Jong-sik (Sosan, 掃山 金鍾植, 1895?1961), the grandfather of Kim Dong-gi, to honor his father, Kim Jeong-gyu (Nongam, 聾菴 金正奎, 1828?1898). Known for his profound filial piety, Kim Jong-sik named the building "Cheonggeumjeong (聽琴亭)" by taking "Cheong (聽)" from a poem left by his father after his passing and "Geum (琴)" from Geumsan, the name of a mountain in Uiryeong.

Cheonggeumjeong is highly valued for preservation as a good example showing the spontaneous evolution process of traditional architecture in the modern era and is currently designated as a cultural asset of Gyeongnam Province.

Following the donor’s wishes, Busan National University Library plans to organize the old books so that the donated materials can be utilized for research. Subsequently, to ensure the safe management of the materials, a "Sosan Collection" will be established in the central library’s storage room on campus, equipped with temperature and humidity control as well as pest and mold prevention facilities, named after the donor’s grandfather’s pen name, "Sosan."

Busan National University Library Kim Dong-gi Donation Ceremony of Ancient Books. Provided by Pusan National University