Ten Preliminary Cultural Heritage Items Selected for the First Time... Includes Kim Dae-jung's Nobel Peace Prize Medal

National Heritage Administration Holds First Review After Law Enactment
Includes Materials on Democratization, Sports, and Antarctic Exploration

President Kim Dae-jung Nobel Peace Prize Medal and Certificate

The National Heritage Administration announced on November 12 that the Modern and Contemporary Heritage Subcommittee of the Cultural Heritage Committee has approved the first list of preliminary cultural heritage items in accordance with the enforcement of the "Act on the Preservation and Utilization of Modern and Contemporary Cultural Heritage." Preliminary cultural heritage refers to modern and contemporary cultural heritage that was constructed, produced, or formed less than 50 years ago and is designated as having high value for future registration as cultural heritage. This system aims to prevent damage and loss, and to ensure these assets are passed down as future cultural resources for local communities.

This selection includes ten artifacts that reflect major events, figures, and social changes in modern history. The "Nobel Peace Prize Medal and Certificate" awarded to President Kim Dae-jung in 2000-the first Korean recipient-symbolize his achievements in promoting inter-Korean reconciliation, democracy, and human rights. The "Papillon Chair," handcrafted by Monk Beopjeong after building Bulilam Hermitage at Songgwangsa Temple, is known as an item that accompanied his time of practice and contemplation.

Beopjeong Sunim Papillon Chair

The "medical and nursing tools" used by Austrian nurses Marianne and Margaret on Sorokdo Island document their care for Hansen's disease patients. The "automatic matchstick manufacturing machine," independently produced in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, is a machine that automatically coated matchsticks with wax and ignition material, and is currently the only complete example remaining in Korea.

Also on the list are the "Lee Han-yeol Tear Gas Canister Injury Relics," which sparked the 1987 democratization movement; the "1976 Montreal Olympic Gold Medal in Wrestling" won by Yang Jungmo, the first Olympic gold medal for a Korean; and the "1991 Chiba World Table Tennis Championships Commemorative Items," marking the first unified Korean team to compete.

Lee Hanyeol Tear Gas Canister Wound Relic

The list also includes "Korean Antarctic Expedition and King Sejong Station Materials," which document Korea's Antarctic exploration and the construction of King Sejong Station; "Everest Climbing Materials," which collect equipment and records from the first successful ascent of Mount Everest by a Korean in 1977; and the "Hoop and Costume Sketches" used by Yun Taeung during the opening ceremony of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

The National Heritage Administration will finalize the designation of these preliminary cultural heritage items after an official gazette notice. It plans to systematically manage them in cooperation with central government agencies, local governments, and owners. For artifacts approaching the 50-year mark, a fact-finding survey will be conducted to consider their designation as registered cultural heritage.