Royal study from Joseon Dynasty reopens as public library

By Woo Jae-yeon

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- A 120-year-old royal study has been given new life as a public library, as the government has recently intensified efforts to utilize historic places in practical ways.

At the opening ceremony in the tranquil Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul on Wednesday, some 200 people including government officials, students and tourists celebrated the reinvention of Jibokjae, or the Hall of Collecting Jade in Korean, as a more useful, daily place for the people.

In collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Administration, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revitalized the old study that used to belong to King Gojong, the 26th king of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) and the first Emperor of Korea, into the open library by adding bookshelves, tables and chairs while keeping the main structure intact.

Built in 1891, the place was used mainly for the king's study and a reception hall for receiving foreign envoys.

The main, high-ceiling study is connected to an octagonal two-story pavilion that is now a small cafe where a visitor can relax over a cup of coffee or tea and some snacks.

The decoration of the time-honored place perfectly fits in with its traditional, elegant nature. The ceiling's delicate patterns, though faded in color, add to the historic spot's allure. The floor is carpeted with a soft rug that makes walking on the otherwise cold wooden floor much more comfortable and pleasant.

The library's bookshelves are filled with about 2,000 books in total.

Among them, some 1,000 books are related to the Joseon era, and there are 700 historical documents on the Joseon royal family which have been translated into three languages: English, Chinese, and Japanese. Moreover, around 230 translated Korean books are available for foreign tourists.

In the cafe, an additional 110 Korean novels are placed, including internationally-acclaimed Korean novels like Han Kang's "The Vegetarian," which has been shortlisted for the 2016 Man Booker International Prize.

The brief opening ceremony was followed by a speech from Lee Bae-yong, president of the Academy of Korean Studies, and an interesting lecture by popular history teacher Seol Min-seok on the king and the royal palace.

"The ministry will continue coming up with various ideas to enable visitors to enjoy and experience historic places rather than just look at them," said culture minister Kim Jong-deok during the opening ceremony.

Recently the ministry has launched colorful cultural events at the country's historic places as part of its campaign to better use the tourist attractions. At palaces in Seoul, music concerts, traditional performances, food tastings and theatrical plays are taking place for much of the year.

Besides its main function as a public library, Jipokjae will also be used to offer a series of lectures on royal culture.

jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
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