Korean Studies Databases

Korean E-resources

E-Korean Studies is a cross-database search interface of the following 9 major Korean electronic databases covering various disciplines including arts and humanities, social sciences, medical sciences. The content materials cover various sources from monographs, periodicals, newspapers, dissertations and research reports, law, classical literature, to dictionaries and video lectures. Each of the databases can also be accessed and searched separately.

  • KCI (Korean Citation Index) Full citation database with esteemed journals and other academic publications in Korea. Available via online for free with more than 6,000 kinds of academic journals, 10,000 Korean professional institutions, and 260,000,000 published papers available.
  • KISS (Korean Studies Information Service System) Full text database of Korean scholarly journal articles, university publications and research papers published by over 1,200 research institutions in Korea. The DB includes 800,000 full-text articles and it covers most of subject areas published since 1945. Requirement of the system: Acrobat Reader(more than 4.0)
  • KoreaA2Z (Korean Studies DB Contents) KoreaA2Z is a database of 110 academic contents in general reference, journalism, history, geography, law, religion, philosophy, traditional culture, natural science, and oriental medicine. While it is run by a private company, it provides access to a variety of academic primary sources.
    • Digital Culture Art Course As a subset of KoreaA2Z, it provides VOD lectures presented by scholars and specialists in the subject areas containing 70 titles for 923 courses.
  • Korea Open Access Journal (KOAJ): KOAJ is an open access journal system for any online users to use published journals in Korea.
  • LawnB (Legal Information Service) LawnB is a legal information service that provides a collection of South Korean legal materials on-line including law information, judicial precedent, administration data, laywer and law firm information, etc.

 

Research Institutes

 

Research-specific Online Database (Privately Owned)

  • DBpia: Similar to KISS and KCI, DBpia provides access (yet a little more limited) to various reputable published sources
  • E-Article: E-article is a journal search platform specifically dedicated to electronically published articles.
  • Korea Scholar: Similar journal research platform to KCI and KISS
  • Kyobo Scholar: Owned and run by a private Korean book company (Kyobo Munko; 교보문고)
  • Royal Asiatic Society Korea (한국 왕립 아시아 학회): Royal Asiatic Society Korea contains Korean Studies correspondence available to the public in PDF format.
  • Newnonmum (뉴논문): Newnonmun is an online journal searching system, organized by categories of studies.

 

Free Online Databases

Korean Sources

  • Database of Korean History (한국사 데이터베이스): Database of Korean History is an online resource open to all public that provides major historical sources in Korean history, encompassing from ancient history to modern history of Korea. The information is organized using both a chronological order system and in keyword-searchable functions. The website is constantly being updated by the National Institute of Korean History.
  • DB of Korean historical figures (한국역대인물종합정보시스템) A comprehensive database of more than 16,000 historic Korean figures from ancient to modern developed by the Academy of Korean Studies (한국학중앙연구원) and the Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion (한국정보문화진흥원). It provides information the origins and history of Korean family names and the detailed lists of those who passed the official exams of the Chosŏn dynasty (국조문과방목. 무과방목, 사마방목, 잡과방목). This database is searchable by keyword, name, and family origin.
  • Dictionary of Korean province cultures (한국향토문화전자대사전): Dictionary of Korean province cultures is a comprehensive online dictionary that brought together the geographical regions in Korea and their region-specific cultures.
  • Encyclopedia of Korea (한국민족문화대백과사전): Encyclopedia of Korea is an online cultural encyclopedia focusing on Korean cultural heritage and accomplishments.
  • Korean Studies Data Platform, KDP (한국학자료 통합플랫폼): KDP is an online platform for supporting various subjects of research related to Korean studies. It provides its own published contents, keyword/subject search functions, and live statistics for Korean Studies research trend as well as their database category trends.
  •  Korean National Ministry of Foreign Affairs Digital Archives
  • Koreanology: Koreanology is an online quarterly journal Koreanology, published by the ICCA (Institute of China and Contemporary Asia) RAS and MGIMO University. This journal aims to be the platform for discussion and expression of opinions of Koreanists from Russia, the CIS countries and foreign colleagues. The journal will be available for specialists in various fields, students, graduate students, researchers, government agencies and a wide range of readers. Koreanists will be able to more actively publish their academic research and receive feedback, get acquainted with the academic life of colleagues from different regions.
  • Knowledgebase of Korean Studies (디지털 한국학) This encyclopedic online database was originally developed by the Academy of Korean Studies and holds much information about Korean art, culture, folklore, history, literature, philosophy, and religion. Search by keyword and browse by subject.
  • Ministry of Unification (통일부 남북관계관리단): The Ministry of Unification provides a myriad of resources related to North-and-South Korean policies and relations.
  • Merit Digital Archives (공훈전자사료관): The Merit Digital Archives provides the list of people awarded with the National Merit Awards for their services. The Archives also contain the list of people related to the Independence Movement and Democratic Movements in South Korea.
  • National Center for Rights of the Child
  • Presidential Archive – Korea
  • The Library of Congress (국회 전자도서관): The Library of Congress contains various digitized and other citations for most recent sources related to various subjects in Korean society. Categories include Women’s Studies, Diplomacy, Politics, Environment, Legal Records, etc.

International Sources

Other Helpful External Resources

UIUC – Non-library resources

      • Asian American Cultural Center Library
        • AACC has their own library collection separate from UIUC main library system. Their collection ranges from fiction to academic publications.
      • Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures Library
        • EALC has its own reference library for use by faculty and graduate students. The library includes reference materials, periodicals, and books on China, Japan, and Korea. The library is also used for conversation tables and other student activities.

Non-UIUC External resources