"From the Inner Room to World Documentary Heritage"... Andong's Naebanggasa Challenges UNESCO International Register

Reevaluating the Global Significance of Women's Everyday Narratives
2027 to Decide Fate of Inscription

The women's documentary heritage representing Andong, "Naebanggasa," is once again making its presence felt on the global stage. On November 24, the city of Andong (Mayor Kwon Ki-chang) announced that Naebanggasa has been officially selected as a domestic candidate for inscription on the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register.

Naebanggasa Selected as a Domestic Candidate for UNESCO Memory of the World Register: Sangbyeokga (Ssangbyeokga)

This follows its 2022 inscription on the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Register (MOWCAP), marking a significant turning point that is expected to highlight the global significance of women's everyday literature.

Naebanggasa is a rare collective work in which women recorded their daily lives, emotions, and historical realities in their own language. It serves as a symbolic example of the "diversity and inclusiveness of memory" that the Memory of the World program seeks to promote.

◆ 567 Documents Submitted... Joint Nomination Led by the Korean Studies Advancement Center and the National Hangeul Museum

The application was jointly submitted by the National Hangeul Museum and the Korean Studies Advancement Center, with a total of 567 documents presented: 292 managed by the Korean Studies Advancement Center, 226 held by the National Hangeul Museum, and 49 from seven other institutions, including the National Library of Korea, Kyungpook National University Library, Dankook University Yulgok Memorial Library, Korean Gasa Literature Museum, and Yecheon Museum.

In particular, the Korean Studies Advancement Center, located in Andong, is recognized as a core research and preservation institution that most faithfully reflects the background in which Naebanggasa was intensively created and disseminated in the northern Yeongnam region during the late 18th century.

◆ Women Who Recorded Their Times... Everyday Narratives on the World Stage

Naebanggasa is a traditional form of gasa literature written in pure Hangeul by women in their private quarters, or "naebang" (inner room), during the late Joseon Dynasty. These women not only documented daily life and family affairs, but also

literarily expressed the rapidly changing realities of their era, including ▲imperialist invasions, ▲loss of national sovereignty, and ▲liberation and war. Approximately 80% of all Naebanggasa works were created during this period, demonstrating that collective documentation by women was a significant cultural trend in Korea's modern and contemporary history.

The continuity of this documentary culture is highly valued today, not only in women's history research but also in terms of "diversity of memory," a core value of the Memory of the World program.

◆ "Expanding the Global Reach of Women's Documentary Culture"

Kwon Ki-chang, Mayor of Andong, stated, "Naebanggasa is a precious record that fully embodies the lives and consciousness of Andong's women and is a source of cultural pride for the region. We will use this push for UNESCO inscription as an opportunity to widely promote the value of women's documentary culture in Andong to the world and make this the starting point for its development as a cultural and tourism resource."

Andong has already established itself as a leading city for documentary heritage in Korea, with achievements such as the inscription of ▲Confucian Printing Woodblocks (2015, International Register), ▲Korean Plaques (2016, Asia-Pacific Register), ▲Maninso Petitions (2018, Asia-Pacific Register), and ▲Naebanggasa (2022, Asia-Pacific Register).

◆ Final Inscription to Be Determined in France in 2027

The final decision on the inscription of Naebanggasa on the International Register will be made at the UNESCO Executive Board meeting to be held in France in the first half of 2027. The city of Andong plans to increase the likelihood of inscription through multi-layered strategies, including strengthening international promotion of women's documentary culture, developing Naebanggasa-related content, and expanding academic and exhibition-linked projects.

Naebanggasa Selected as a Domestic Candidate for UNESCO Memory of the World Register, Josonbyeolseo