PHILATELI-GRAPHICS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE GRAPHICS PHILATELY ASSOCIATION ISSN 9739-6198 Affiliate 133 Volume 29, Number 2 ● Whole Number 115 ● April 2007 Study Unit A New Issue in Depth Oldest Book Printed from Moveable Metal Type

South issued two stamps on 9 De- Buddhism. The monk's disciples, Seok- cember 2005 (Scott 2213a-b) that are of vary- chan and Daldam, under the auspices of Myo- ing interest to graphics philately. Both depict deok, a Buddhist nun, had the books printed Korean cultural treasures that are included on a movable-type press at the on the United Nations Memory of the World Heungdeoksa Temple in City in International Register. The Seungjeongwon, 1377, the first printing press of its kind known or Royal Secretariat of the Dynasty, in the world. Records indicate that Koreans was responsible for keeping Seungjeongwon developed metal type in the 13th century. Since Ilgi, the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat. The such records are not backed up by any physi- Diaries are a detailed record covering 288 cal remains, however, Jikji is recognized as the years (12 March 1623 through 29 August first extant book printed from movable metal 1910) of the daily events and official sched- type in the world. The invention carries a great ules of the court from the Joseon Dynasty's deal of historic significance, as it preceded first king, Taejo, to its 27th and last, Sunjong. Gutenberg's “42-line Bible” by 78 years. Pri- They are thus primary historic sources for macy is one thing, however, and impact is the study of modern times in the Far East. something else again. The impact of Guten- The Diaries record not only important na- berg’s independent inventions were obviously tional events, but also simple routines—the greater then those in Korea, as they played a king's appointments, for example, and dis- significant role in ushering in the Renaissance cussions he had with scholars on the Confu- and religious reform by enabling mass print- cian and other Chinese classics, meetings ing. with court functionaries, administrative acts, It’s interesting to note that Jikji is not and affairs in the queen's inner palace. housed in a Korean library. It had been in the Through the vicissitudes of time, especially collection of Collin de Plancy, a charg d'affaires fire and war, only 3,243 diaries are extant with the French Embassy in in 1887, today. The Diaries were designated National during the reign of King Gojong. The book then Treasure No. 303 in April 1999 and regis- went into the hands of Henri Vever, a collector tered as a Memory of the World in September of classics, and when he died in 1950, it was 2001. Memory of the World is UNESCO's pro- donated to the National Library of France, gram to preserve and disseminate valuable where it has been ever since. Although Jikji archival holdings and library collections consists of two books, the first volume has worldwide. never been found, and only the second volume The second stamp depicts the Baegunhwa- is currently kept at the National Library. It sang Chorokbuljo Jikjisimcheyojeol (Jikji, for originally had 39 chapters, but the first chap- short), a two-volume book that an aged Bud- ter is missing. Jikji is shown on the larger dhist monk by the name of Baegunhwasang (green) stamp on the souvenir sheet repro- wrote in 1372 to summarize the essentials of duced on page 20. Page 20 PHILATELI-GRAPHICS Vol. 29, No. 2 (April 2007)

South Korea, Scott 2213a-b