Busan is good

Professor Emeritus Lee Won-kyun of Pukyong National University Donates Over 1,900 Books to Busan Library

내용

The Busan Library announced that Professor Emeritus Lee Won-kyun of Pukyong National University, a senior historian from Busan, has donated over 1,900 books from his lifelong personal collection.

The donation includes books collected during his research on Korean and Busan history, as well as books authored and reviewed by Professor Lee. Among the rare items are:

• ●Dugyejapil (斗溪雜筆),

• ●History of Joseon Railways Vol.1 (朝鮮鐵道史 卷1),

• ●Secret History of the Royal Palace (李王宮秘史), and

• ●Research on Joseon History (朝鮮史硏究).

Of particular note, History of Joseon Railways Vol.1, produced during the Japanese colonial period, contains extensive details about the Gyeongbu Railway. It is regarded as a valuable resource for studying the history of modern railways in Busan.

Professor Lee also served as a compilation and writing committee member, as well as vice-chair of the committee for the Compilation of Busan History. He was dedicated to historical education through public cultural lectures, and organized international academic conferences on Toegye Studies with Korea, Japan, and China. In recognition of these efforts, he received the Busan Culture Award in 2014.

Professor Lee remarked,

“Having studied and taught history throughout my life, I wanted to share these books—not only with students, but also with the general public. I hope they will be of help to anyone interested in history.”

In appreciation of his donation, Busan Library plans to exhibit selected books starting April 15 at "Busan Aettul" on the third floor.

Director Park Eun-ah of Busan Library stated,

“We hope Professor Lee’s lifelong academic achievements and dedication to education will serve as a meaningful resource for those interested in history.”

---

[Reference Information: Donation by Professor Emeritus Lee Won-kyun of Pukyong National University]

■ Background

• ●To enrich Busan Library’s collection and improve public access to historical resources by registering the donated materials from historian Professor Lee Won-kyun.

■ Donation Overview

• ●Total: Over 1,900 books

• ●Notable titles:
  · History of Joseon Railways (1929) by the Railway Bureau of the Governor-General of Korea
  · Secret History of the Royal Palace (1927) by Gondo Shirosuke
  · Royal Palace History (1954) by Lee Cheol-won

■ Biography of Professor Lee Won-kyun

• ●1960–1963: Graduated from and completed graduate coursework at the Department of History, Pusan National University

• ●1987: Completed Ph.D. coursework in History at Dong-A University (Doctor of Literature)

• ●1981–present: Professor of History at Pukyong National University

• ●1991–present: Member of Busan City History Compilation Committee and Cultural Heritage Committee

■ Project Timeline

• ●Dec. 2024: Donation requested and on-site visit conducted

• ●Jan. 2025: Consultation with experts (curators and researchers)

• ●Apr. 2025: Exhibition of selected high-value materials begins