On February 18, the Korean National Commission for UNESCO (KNCU) donated 100 UNESCO World Traditional Music LP records to the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts). These LPs, which include recordings from the UNESCO Collection: Musical Sources series published by UNESCO Headquarters, feature traditional and indigenous music from various regions around the world. Once available at the KNCU library, the collection had been in storage for many years.
The donation was made possible through Professor Joo Sung-hye, Head of the Department of Musicology at K-Arts, who is also a member of KNCU’s Subcommittee for Culture, Communication and Information. The LP collection will now be housed in the School of Music’s sound archive, where it will serve as a valuable resource for research and education.
Professor Joo had previously given a presentation at KNCU’s regular Brown Bag Seminar series, in which she explored indigenous music from around the world from a research perspective. Her talk sparked discussions within KNCU on how these dormant materials could be repurposed for broader educational and cultural use, ultimately leading to this donation.