Research on the Improvement of the Law of Record Management

Abstract

This research discusses how to improve the current environment for record management in relation to the Revision of the Law of Record Management in South Korea. Three major issues are: 1) Legal status of the National Archives & Records Service of Korea as the government institution in charge of managing centrally records, 2) System for the education and training of professionals who specialize in record management, and 3) Foundation of the national museum and archives of records. Findings are as follows: First, the existing 'National Office of Records' as the government institution in charge of managing records, should be promoted to the 'National Archives & Records Service of Korea' in order to be administered by the class of a vice-minister in the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs. Second, the qualification criteria which currently requires the Master's degree of Record Management, should be modified to include the Bachelor's degree in the field in order to expand the pool of professional human resources. Also, to hire the public officials for record management, either the positions of 'researcher/record manager group' should be created, or the existing positions of librarian, archivist, and record manager should be integrated into the new position of 'record culture group'. Third, the most significant task for the office of record management of local governments is to inherit and further develop the traditional culture and documentary legacy which are unique to those local communities and governments at various levels, and a priority should be given to those tasks. Therefore, when the Law of Record Management will be later revised, the establishment of the office of record management for local governments at every level should be required, and the museum and archives of records should be also established as a significant part of the institution. Unique local culture and history of particular communities should be collected and preserved in systematically specialized and differentiated ways in those institutions of record management, and the names should be uniquely given to the institutions according to the characteristics of local governments.