Korea Collection: Ttakjibon Collection

Ttakjibon Collection:
Our collection includes a total of 18 Ttakjibon books.
Unfortunately, many of the books have lost their original covers and are now preserved in hardcover bindings. You can check the presence or absence of covers in the list below.

Overview of Ttakjibon:

"Ttakjibon novels” was the nickname for Kuhwalchabon novels(구활자본 소설 ; 舊活字本). There are several theories over the origin of the name "ttakjibon”. The most widely accepted theory is that because most Kuhwalchabon novels had colorful book covers, the name was taken from the word "ttakji" (딱지), which were colorful cards used in a Korean children’s game. The photo next to it is a "ttakji" (딱지).

Ttakjibon novels played a crucial role in the popularization and modernization of reading. Tens of thousands of ttakjibon novels were sold every year in the 1920’s and 1930’s, so they became very well-known throughout Korea. The fact that they were so extensively read by the public holds a great deal of historical significance. It’s hard to imagine now, but the illiteracy rate in Korea was very high in the early 20th century as reading culture had not yet taken root. Owning and reading books were simply too expensive for the average person. However, with the mass production and widespread reading of low-priced books, literacy proliferated and the curtain came down on the era when only the privileged classes could own and enjoy books.
They opened a new chapter in the history of modern Korean literature. As a part of popular culture, these kinds of ttakjibon novels subtly reflected the state of affairs of contemporary Korean society and culture. As a result, it can be said that ttakjibon novels encapsulated the popular culture of Korea in the 1920’s-30’s.

This information was taken from: Ttakjibon Digital Collection, National Library of Korea