Kyujanggak

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Kyujanggak
Hangul 규장각
Hanja 奎章閣
Revised Romanization Gyujanggak
McCune-Reischauer Kyujanggak

The Kyujanggak was the royal library of the Joseon Dynasty, and functions today as a key repository of Korean historical records. It was founded in 1776 during the reign of Jeongjo, at which time it was located on the palace grounds of Changdeokgung. Today it is maintained by Seoul National University, and is located in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu.

The library's role underwent various changes after the Gabo Reforms of 1894. In 1922, it was moved under the jurisdiction of Keijo Imperial University, which later gave rise to the Seoul National University. The library moved to its present location in 1990, and became independent of the Seoul National University Central Library in 1992.

The Kyujanggak now houses more than 260,000 items. Many of these have been digitized and can be searched online. These include originals of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, which are among the National treasures of South Korea. The Kyujanggak also supports research in Korean history, and sponsors an annual journal titled Kyujanggak.

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