TASAN CULTURAL FOUNDATION

Support for
Research

Publication of the Official Edition of Yeoyudang Jeonseo

In 2012, the Tasan Cultural Foundation published the Official Edition of Yeoyudang Jeonseo (the Collected Works of Yeoyudang)(37 volumes), along with the Collected Letters of Tasan (one volume) as one of the academic endeavors that were part of the 250th anniversary celebration of Tasan's birth. The Official Edition of Yeoyudang Jeonseo is based off of the edition of Yeoyudang Jeonseo published by Sinjoseonsa between 1934 and 1938. By comparing and contrasting this text with the original hand written text, many errors from the original edition were corrected. This endeavor began in 2002, and was completed with the academic community's active participation, along with support from the Ministry of Education and Science and private organizations. The creation of electronic versions of these works of Tasan is currently in progress.

Compilation of the Encyclopedia of Tasan Studies

From July 2009 onwards, the Tasan Cultural Foundation started to compile an Encyclopedia of Tasan Studies, with support in the form of "Support for Basic Research Tasks in Humanities and Social Sciences" from the Korea Research Foundation. Publication is expected to begin in 2015. As an encyclopedia that will focus on a single individual's philosophy and academic work, the Encyclopedia of Tasan Studies will be a landmark publication. The compilation of this encyclopedia, along with the publication of the Official Edition of Yeoyudang Jeonseo, is a monumental endeavor which will allow for a comprehensive survey of Tasan Jeong Yak Yeong's philosophies in the context of Korean intellectual and cultural history, and contribute greatly to the advancement of Tasan studies. The Encyclopedia of Tasan Studies will not only be available as a book, but also will be accessible online. Furthermore, plans are being formed for the publication of an English version of the dictionary in order to transmit Tasan's learning worldwide.

Support for Research Articles

By supporting outstanding research articles about Tasan Studies both in Korea and abroad, the Tasan Cultural Foundation has contributed greatly to the development of Tasan Studies. From 1999 until the present, some 135 articles from Korea, along with around 30 articles from China, Japan, France, Taiwan, Austria, and the United States were supported by the Tasan Cultural Foundation and were presented at conferences hosted by the Foundation in Korea and overseas, and were published in the The Journal of Tasan Studies. The plan is to expand the support for such research articles in the near future.