Abstract

The increasing number of university closures because of the declining school-age population has made preserving and managing university records a critical task. The Korea Advancing Schools Foundation (KASFO), responsible for managing records from closed universities, has faced capacity challenges as the volume of transferred records exceeds archival space. With projections indicating that half of local universities may close by 2040, addressing archival storage constraints has become urgent. This study aims to identify the significant properties of records from closed universities and, based on these properties, verify the authenticity of digitized records. It involved a literature review of related literature, conducting interviews, and analysis of records managed by the KASFO, along with the reconstruction of records and information disclosure requests to determine significant properties. The findings are as follows: First, domestic and international legal frameworks and regulations on digitization were analyzed to propose a direction for digital record management in South Korea. Second, significant properties of closed university records were identified, and measures were proposed to preserve the four core attributes of records and ensure their authenticity. Third, by applying these significant properties in the digitization process, a basis for the disposal of original records was established. This study is expected to contribute to the practical and efficient management of records from closed universities by implementing digitization strategies.