The memories of a city are not necessarily engraved only on stone monuments. They flow along waterways, seep into the cracks of bricks in old factories, rest upon crafts carefully made by human hands, and remain in the traces of old typefaces printed on paper. Cheongju is a rare city that simultaneously displays these diverse textures of memory. From the gentle ripples of Musimcheon Stream flowing leisurely through the city center, to the murals of Suamgol Village formed amidst the pain of the Korean War, to the Tobacco Factory that has weathered the rise and fall of industry and the Culture Factory that blossomed anew from its cultural vitality, and even the *Jikji Simche Yojeol* (hereinafter *Jikji*), the starting point of world documentary culture—all these memories connect with one another, proving the fact that “memory creates places, and those places, in turn, call people.”

The city's memories flow along the waterways,

Seeping into the cracks of the bricks of an old factory, resting upon crafts carefully made by human hands,

It remains even in the old type marks printed on paper.

Jikji, Philosophy Beyond Records

It is insufficient to describe *Jikji* solely by its historical title as the world's first book printed with movable metal type. It is a record that, for the first time in human history, demonstrated how knowledge and thought can be transmitted across generations through recording and preservation. The birth of movable type signified not merely technological progress, but a philosophical event that expanded human intellectual exchange beyond time and space. Although Heungdeoksa Temple in Cheongju, where *Jikji* was printed, remains an empty site today, it is precisely in that void that we are compelled to question the true essence and value of memory once again. Just as vanished traces sometimes harbor the richest stories and thoughts, in Cheongju, *Jikji* transcends a single book to symbolize the spiritual archetypes and values that the entire city has embodied.

Just as sometimes vanished traces hold the richest stories and thoughts,

In Cheongju, *Jikji* is more than just a book

It is an entity that symbolizes the spiritual archetype and values that the entire city has lived by.

From Industrial Memory to Cultural Regeneration

Established in 1946, the Cheongju Tobacco Plant was the largest industrial facility in the central region, where thousands of workers toiled. During its heyday, it produced billions of cigarettes, and the Nammun-ro Market bustled with activity on payday. Memories of those days still linger in the alleys and among the people of Cheongju. However, amidst the wave of industrialization and changing times, the plant gradually ceased operations, leaving behind a massive, empty skeleton in the heart of the city. Instead of erasing this empty site, Cheongju chose to preserve its memory. By transforming the old factory building into a space for cultural regeneration, it was reborn as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Cheongju.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Cheongju, has transcended its role as a mere art museum to establish itself as a national art storage center dedicated to preserving and researching national artworks. The building, which once held the memory of industry, has transformed into a space for preserving art, where the past and present coexist to create new value. At this museum, visitors simultaneously experience the memories left by industry and the creative imagination of contemporary art.

The building, holding the memory of industry, has now transformed into a space for preserving art, and

Within it, the past and present coexist, creating new value.

Right next to this art museum is the Cheongju Craft Museum, another place dedicated to memory. Craft is not merely an industrial or production activity, but a memory crafted by the fingertips of human hands. Since 1999, Cheongju has been building a global craft platform where tradition and modernity, and the local and the world, meet through the Cheongju Craft Biennale. Here, craftworks hold a value beyond that of mere objects. Born from the delicate touch of artists, these works are products of memory that fully capture the lives and time of the people embraced by the city of Cheongju.

Established in 2020, the UNESCO International Centre for Memory of the World is redefining Cheongju's identity on a global scale. Just as the Jikji disseminated records to the world, this center functions as a global hub for a new record culture based on the preservation and digitization of records. Cheongju is growing beyond being a city that merely keeps its promise regarding past records to becoming a city that creates a new record culture for the future.

Works born from the delicate touch of artists

It is a product of memory that fully captures the lives and time of the people embraced by the city of Cheongju.

Memories of Cheongju Hidden in Everyday Life

The true culture of a city does not exist solely in massive museums and glamorous biennials. Cheongju's special charm is also hidden within everyday memories. The Nammun-ro Market, which flourished during the days of the tobacco factory; the unique urban landscape characterized by a low crime rate that even meant there was no nighttime curfew; and the culture of freshwater snail hangover soup that developed within it all demonstrate Cheongju's distinctive trust and sensibility of daily life. The Apkaksu tree in Central Park, the tranquil ripples of Myeongam Reservoir, and the friendly scenery of Suamgol Mural Village also gently embrace the city's everyday memories.

Nammun-ro Market, which flourished during the days of the tobacco factory,

A unique urban landscape with a low crime rate where there wasn't even a night curfew,

The culture of freshwater snail hangover soup that developed within it demonstrates Cheongju's unique trust and lifestyle sensibility.

Cheongju is not merely a city that harbors ancient records, but a city that constantly contemplates ways to reconstruct, preserve, and convey those records to people. The technical legacy of the Jikji meets the digital age to create a new record culture, while traces of industry are being reborn as art and crafts. Throughout this entire process, memory does not exist merely as a record, but is continuously reproduced as a living way of life.

Memories are not merely recorded, but are born anew in daily life. Cheongju is quietly and steadily engraving that very way of life today.

Illustration | This dreamlike illustration by artist Choi San-ho captures the scenery of a person traveling through Cheongju, the city of culture and art, by retracing their memories. Against the backdrop of the alleys of Suamgol Mural Village, the path leads to Heungdeoksa Temple, passing a giant ginkgo tree on the left. At the end of this path lies the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

External contributions to the Editorial Department are intended to provide a multifaceted perspective on local culture and industry and may differ from the views of the Editorial Department.

Choi In-seon

For a long time, I have worked as an art director, planning and overseeing exhibitions and programs that encompass music, culture, and the arts. Currently, I plan exhibitions under the name 'Wagnerian,' conduct various art projects with global companies, and write. Since 2011, I have been active as a classical music creator at 'Pungwoldang' and 'Unitel Classica,' and I developed corporate cultural businesses while serving as the Head of the Cultural Business Team at 'Chosun Media.' I also worked as a programmer at the art space 'Boan 1942,' creating over 30 programs.