The first volume of the first printed book in the Korean writing system Hangeul has become a national treasure.
 
The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on Tuesday that it designated the first out of the three volumes of Wolincheongangjigok as national treasure number 48-2.
 
The Wolincheongangjigok is a book of Buddhist hymns written in Hangeul by King Sejong in 1449 after he created the writing system. Only one of its three volumes remains in existence.
 
The book was initially designated as a treasure in 1963.
 
The agency also designated seven more national treasures, including the Joseon Dynasty royal seals taken by a U.S. soldier during the Korean War six decades ago which were returned to South Korea in 2014.