The government is seeking to hold a joint exhibition with North Korea featuring all four copies of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, known as the Joseon Wangjo Sillok.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday it aims to hold the exhibition in Seoul as 2013 marks the 600th anniversary of the first publication of the annals. The ministry said it is also hoping to hold the exhibition to promote inter-Korean exchanges.

Three of the copies are stored at mountain repositories in Mount Jeongjok, Mount Odae and Mount Taebaek in the South while the remaining copy is stored at a mountain repository in the North’s Mount Jeoksang.

The annals, which were designated as a national treasure in 1973, have been printed several times out of concerns they could be destroyed. UNESCO listed the books on its Memory of the World Registry in 1997.