Where is Jikji?

「Jikji is currently stored in the Orient and Eastern Collections of the National Library of France (Bibliothèque Nationale de France). After the Franco-Korean Treaty of 1886 was signed, Collin de Plancy (1853–1922) was appointed as France’s diplomatic minister to Korea. While in Korea, he collected various antique books and other cultural artifacts including Jikji. It is unclear how he came to have Jikji, but based on the appearance of Jikji in “Joseon Seoji” written by Maurice Courant (1865–1935) in 1901, it must have already been collected by 1900. It was auctioned off in 1911 at the Drouot Hotel.

Plancy donated most of the antique books that he collected in Korea to his alma mater, Institut Nationale des Langues et Civilisation Orientales. However, the movable metal type copy of Jikji was bought by Henri Vever (1854–1943) for 180 Francs. Vever kept it until 1950 when it was donated to the National Library of France (Bibliothèque Nationale de France) in accordance with his will.

Source : Cheongju Early Printing Museum