This study aims to examine the production and management practices of records created by holders of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the field of traditional craft techniques and, based on this analysis, to propose strategies for improving record...
This study aims to examine the production and management practices of records created by holders of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the field of traditional craft techniques and, based on this analysis, to propose strategies for improving records management. To this end, the study first reviews previous research and relevant laws and institutional frameworks to clarify the concept and transmission system of intangible cultural heritage and to define the scope of records produced by ICH holders. It then analyzes the documentation projects and records management practices of public institutions, including the KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE, the National Intangible Heritage Center, and 17 metropolitan and provincial governments.
Subsequently, in-depth interviews were conducted with six holders of traditional craft techniques residing in training centers in the Gyeongsang region. Focusing on their perceptions of records, actual practices of records production and management, and their demands for records management support, the study analyzes the current state of records management at the individual level. The findings reveal that although holders’ records constitute important resources that document their formative backgrounds, transmission lineages, working philosophies, and processes of technical transformation, systematic management of these records is largely absent. Factors such as aging, time and financial constraints, limited understanding of records management, and the lack of supporting personnel hinder effective management. As a result, life-course records of holders are often missing, and only fragmented outputs remain, with the contextual continuity of transmission and production processes frequently disrupted. Furthermore, the study identifies additional limitations, including an awareness structure in which holders recognize the necessity of records but do not regard record creation and management as part of their own role, the dispersion of records management responsibilities among public institutions, local governments, and holders, and a support system overly reliant on one-time projects.
To address these issues, the study proposes four improvement strategies: (1) supplementing missing records through oral history interviews, (2) establishing a records documentation framework organized by stages of the craft production process, (3) providing records management education for ICH transmitters, and (4) constructing a collaborative records management governance model in which training centers, local governments, and professional institutions share clearly defined roles.
This study contributes to the field by expanding the focus of intangible heritage documentation from heritage items and institutional systems to the records produced through the lives, memories, and transmission activities of individual holders, and by empirically analyzing holders’ records from an archival studies perspective. By jointly examining public documentation projects and holders’ on-site experiences, the study reveals the gap between institutional structures and practical realities in intangible heritage records management and proposes a governance model to bridge this gap, offering meaningful policy implications.
Nevertheless, the study is limited in that its scope is confined to holders of traditional craft techniques, thus insufficiently reflecting other types of intangible heritage transmitters, and that the proposed records management model remains at a conceptual level, requiring further elaboration in terms of concrete implementation strategies and institutional design. Future research should compare records across different categories of ICH holders and explore the design of personnel, budgets, and manuals necessary to operationalize collaborative structures among transmission training centers, local governments, and professional
institutions.