National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage

The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH), the only organisation of its kind in Korea, carries out research, surveys and development projects for the proper recognition, conservation and usage of the nation's cultural treasures.

Since the NRICH was established in 1969 as a division of the now-defunct Bureau of Cultural Heritage Administration, cultural heritage research has grown highly specialised and NRICH currently has some 350 researchers working in the divisions of Archaeology, Artistic Heritage, Architectural Heritage, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Natural Heritage, and Conservation Science.

The main function of the NRICH is to conduct at state level research, excavation and survey, and conservation and restoration projects that are beyond the capabilities of university research teams or other organisations. Some of the projects NRICH has undertaken include publication of a biographical dictionary of Korean painters and calligraphers and a dictionary of archaeology, and research on standard categorization of Baekje earthenware.

Other important national projects now underway are the maintenance and repair of the stone pagoda at Mireuksa Temple site in Iksan, and research toward the restoration of Hwangnyongsa Temple site in Gyeongju. To investigate the history of local areas, the five regional branches of the NRICH are responsible for ongoing research in varied areas including the capital of Silla, the capital of Baekje, mountain fortresses, inscribed wooden tablets, pottery coffins, and temple sites.

Internationally, NRICH's focus is to make Korean cultural treasures known overseas and to conduct comparative studies. By promoting the correct history of Korea, we aim to prevent any historical distortion, and hence the scope of our research includes cultural artifacts and sites in neighboring countries.