• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.263-288
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• 2012

The purpose of this research was to examine the significance of the first edition of Tripitaka Koreana. In this research, the following were done: 1) by clarifying the place and date of praying for the engraving of the first edition of Tripitaka Koreana, its significance as "Daejanggyeong" produced to expel the Kitan was more clearly explained; 2) its physical characteristics were examined to provide evidence of the artistic and creative features of its engravings, quite different from those of the Gaebo Tripitaka made in China; and 3) its structure was analyzed from a viewpoint of a systematic bibliography. It was found that since the first edition of Tripitaka Koreana contained all the earlier lists of Buddhistic scriptures in China(and individual scriptures were thoroughly examined and included into its content since the reign of King Munjong), it had a systematic bibliographical significance demonstrated by its comprehensive and cumulative nature.