science

Korean Decimal Classification

Korean Decimal Classification is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Korean Decimal Classification rather than just read about it. In short: The Korean Decimal Classification (KDC) is a system of library classification used in South Korea. The structure and main level classes of the KDC are based on the Dewey Decimal Classification.

Key takeaways

Korean Decimal Classification belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Korean Decimal Classification to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Korean Decimal Classification from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Korean Decimal Classification (KDC) is a system of library classification used in South Korea. The structure and main level classes of the KDC are based on the Dewey Decimal Classification. The KDC is maintained and published by the Classification Committee of the Korean Library Association. The first edition of the classification was published in 1964; the most recent edition is the sixth edition published in 2013. Almost all school and public libraries in South Korea use the KDC to organize their collections, as well as the National Library of Korea and some university libraries.

History Multiple library classification systems had been developed for Korean libraries before the publication of the KDC. These included the Railway Bureau Library Classification(1920), the Korean Decimal Classification edited by Bong-Suk Park(known as KDCP, 1947), the Han-Un Decimal Classification(1954), and the Kuk-Yeon Decimal Classification(1958). After the disappearance of editor Bong-Suk Park in the 1950s, the KDCP system decreased in use. Korean librarians considered adopting the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), especially after it was implemented at Yonsei University in 1957, but struggled to apply it to East Asian and Korean-focused works in their collections. In February 1963, members of the Korean Library Association's Classification were appointed to create a national classification; they decided to make revisions to the order of the main classes of the DDC, for example bringing together the class Language(700) together with the class for Literature(800). Committee members prepared draft classes and indexes and the first edition of the KDC was published in May 1964. Both the text and the index were written in Korean Hangul characters and Chinese characters. The second edition was published just two years later, in 1966, correcting errors and omissions found in the first edition. The third edition was published in 1980, maintaining the basic framework of the previous editions while expanding significantly. The fourth edition, published in 1996, made considerable changes, including increasing the number of representatives on the Classification Committee. The committee sought feedback from the library community and implemented revisions included in the recently published edition 20 of the DDC and edition 9 of the Nippon Decimal Classification. New policies applied to the fourth edition included principles suggesting the main classes should remain as static as possible, with focus shown to expanding classes devoted to technology and science. Likewise, many subject specialists were consulted for the publication of the fifth edition in 2009. The publication of the 23rd edition of the DDC in 2011 provided opportunity for a new revision of the KDC, and the sixth edition was published in July 2013. Greater numbers of classes provided number building capacity in the sixth edition, allowing for more specificity.

Description The KDC classifies resources primarily by discipline, though some classes are collocated by subject. There are eight auxiliary mnemonic tables used to expand class numbers. The main classes of the KDC are the same as the main classes of the Dewey Decimal Classification, but four of those main classes are in a different order: Natural sciences (400), Technology and engineering (500), Arts (600), and Language 700. Though the structure is heavily influenced by the DDC, aspects of multiple library classifications have been invoked in the creation of the KDC, including the Library of Congress Classification for the arrangement of the social sciences (300), the Universal Decimal Classification for medical sciences (510), the KDCP for Korean and Oriental subjects, the Nippon Decimal Classification for those of Japan and Oriental subjects.

Classes of the KDC 6th edition 000 General works 000 General works 010 Books, Bibliography 020 Library & information science 030 General encyclopedias 040 General collected essays 050 General serial publications 060 General societies 070 Newspapers, journalism 080 General collected works 090 Materials of province 100 Philosophy 100 Philosophy 110 Metaphysics 120 Epistemology, etc. 130 Systems of philosophy 140 Chinese classics 150 Oriental philosophy and thought 160 Western philosophy 170 Logic 180 Psychology 190 Ethics, moral philosophy 200 Religion 200 Religion 210 Comparative religion 220 Buddhism 230 Christian religion 240 Taoism 250 Chondoism 260 [Unassigned] 270 Hinduism, Brahmanism 280 Islam, Mohammedianism 290 Other religions 300 Social sciences 300 Social sciences 310 Statistics 320 Economics 330 Sociology and social problems 340 Political sciences 350 Public administration 360 Law 370 Education 380 Customs, Etiquette, Folklore 390 Military science 400 Natural sciences 400 Natural sciences 410 Mathematics 420 Physics 430 Chemistry 440 Astronomy 450 Earth science 460 Mineralogy 470 Life science 480 Botany 490 Zoological science 500 Technology 500 Technology 510 Medical science 520 Agriculture 530 Engineering, technology, etc. 540 Construction and architecture 550 Mechanical engineering 560 Electrical, comm. & electric engineering 570 Chemical engineering 580 Manufactures 590 Human ecology 600 Arts 600 Arts 610 [Unassigned] 620 Sculpture, plastic art 630 Crafts 640 Calligraphy 650 Painting, design 660 Photography 670 Music 680 Stage performance, museum arts 690 Amusements, sports & physical training 700 Language 700 Language 710 Korean language 720 Chinese language 730 Japanese & other Asian languages 740 English 750 German 760 French languages 770 Spanish languages & Portuguese language 780 Italian languages 790 Other languages 800 Literature 800 Literature 810 Korean literature 820 Chinese literature 830 Japanese & other Asian literature 840 English & American literature 850 German literature 860 French literature 870 Spanish & Portuguese literature 880 Italian literature 890 Other literatures 900 History 900 History 910 Asia 920 Europe 930 Africa 940 North America 950 South America 960 Oceania and Polar regions 970 [Unassigned] 980 Geography 990 Biography

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Korean Decimal Classification

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Korean Decimal Classification claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Korean Decimal Classification before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Korean Decimal Classification ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Korean Decimal Classification

In research: Korean Decimal Classification appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Korean Decimal Classification in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Korean Decimal Classification is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Decimal classification systems, Knowledge representation, Libraries in South Korea, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Korean Decimal Classification outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Korean Decimal Classification in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Korean Decimal Classification means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Korean Decimal Classification out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Korean Decimal Classification in simple terms?

The Korean Decimal Classification (KDC) is a system of library classification used in South Korea. The structure and main level classes of the KDC are based on the Dewey Decimal Classification.

Why does Korean Decimal Classification matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Korean Decimal Classification?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Korean Decimal Classification.