National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage

The NRICH shares diverse information on cultural heritage and related events and news with the public through its official website (www.nrich.go.kr). To support the dissemination of research outcomes from the fields of archeology, art, architecture, conservation, and restoration, the NRICH has constructed and opened its Cultural Heritage Research Portal (portal.nrich.go.kr) service. It also continues to redesign and improve the portal service in order to optimize the user experience.

Along with system development for the support of cultural heritage investigations, the Digital Heritage Team is producing archaeological site-centered cultural heritage virtual reality (VR) content using UAVs and 360-degree cameras to precisely video-record the surroundings. This cultural heritage content can be found at the online platform 360 VR Cultural Heritage (portal.nrich.go.kr) so that users can indirectly experience cultural heritage through various mobile devices and PCs without the limitations imposed by time and space.

The Digital Heritage Team operates and is continuing to improve its Geographic Information System (GIS)-Archaeological Sites of Ancient Cities and the Field Survey Map System in an effort to provide practical support for research surveys and systematic digital data management and usage of survey findings. These two systems developed in 2021 were distributed to the Korea Heritage Service and its affiliated organizations as an online service in 2022 after going through their first system upgrade. GIS-Archaeological Sites of Ancient Cities is a geospatial information system that provides detailed information (reference and thematic maps of archaeological remains) about ancient cities, including the main ones (such as Gongju and Buyeo), through a digital map-based web service. The Field Survey Map System is a digital map-based support program that can edit, register, and manage information on cultural heritage from field surveys (including earth surface investigation). The GIS-Archaeological Sites of Ancient Cities database is being built according to a three-year plan in operation from 2022 to 2024. Based on this plan, the GIS mapping service areas will gradually expand and then be stabilized. The GIS-Archaeological Sites of Ancient Cities Version 1.0 is expected to be in operation by 2025 with a stabile online system.

The NRICH Archives is responsible for preserving and managing 50 years of high-value historical and cultural research and administrative records. It also preserves the documents produced and registered by the NRICH and its regional institutes under appropriate condition, examines the history (context or story) of unorganized records, builds a database for high-value records, verifies copyrights, and provides a space for the general public to access and apply these research records. As of January 2023, there are about 67,401 research records held in the NRICH Archives. From 2019 to 2020, the NRICH received archival records on cultural heritage through private donations, such as a pictorial on 69 Seokguram Grotto images provided by the late cultural asset specialist Han Seok-hong. It created an online space on its official webpage last year where interested people can freely download and enjoy these cultural heritage records, including the donated pictorial. These uploaded records are free for both commercial and non-commercial uses with no copyright permission required. They are currently being used for multiple purposes such as academic research, education, publication, content development, and more. The NRICH will continue to do its best to collect and promote its existing and privately donated research records and make them available for public use.

The NRICH Library started in 1969 as a small library at Jagyeongjeon Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace. It has since grown into a full-scale library specializing in Korean cultural heritage. The library collects, manages, and utilizes data and materials needed for a broad range of Korean cultural heritage-related activities, including academic research, surveys, scientific conservation, and historical verification of artifacts. It is open to anyone interested in the study of Korean cultural heritage.