The Jikji was printed 78 years before Johannes Gutenberg's 42-line Bible.
The museum is situated at the exact archaeological site where the Jikji was rediscovered in 1985.
Heungdeoksa Temple was identified through the discovery of bronze bowls inscribed with the temple's name during excavation.
The museum complex includes a workshop where visitors can observe traditional woodblock and metal type printing demonstrations.
UNESCO recognizes the Jikji as part of the Memory of the World Programme.
The Cheongju Early Printing Museum is located at the site of Heungdeoksa Temple, where the Jikji, the world's oldest extant book printed with movable metal type, was produced in 1377. This facility documents the history of printing technology in Korea, highlighting the evolution from woodblock carving to metal type casting. The museum complex houses a permanent exhibition hall featuring replicas of printing equipment and artifacts related to the Goryeo Dynasty's intellectual history. It serves as a central hub for the study of global printing heritage and the UNESCO-recognized Jikji project. The site includes reconstructed temple foundations and historical displays explaining the influence of the Jikji on modern printing methods. It remains the primary institution globally dedicated to the preservation of early movable metal type history.
The stone monument and the reconstructed foundation stones of the Heungdeoksa Temple site.
Combine your visit with the nearby Cheongju Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.
Ask staff about the temporary metal type casting demonstrations performed in the onsite workshop.
Allocate time to walk the grounds to see the excavated temple site foundations.
Do not mistake this for the main municipal history museum in downtown Cheongju; confirm the Heungdeok-gu location before traveling.
Closed every Monday and on January 1st, Lunar New Year, and Chuseok.
Maintain a quiet volume within the exhibition galleries and refrain from touching artifacts.
