Article 1(Purpose) #
The purpose of this Act is to provide for the organization, duties and other necessary matters of the National Assembly Library.
Article 2(Duties) #
(1) The National Assembly Library (hereinafter referred to as "Library") shall support the legislative activities of the National Assembly by conducting the following affairs: <Amended on Dec. 3, 2024>
1. Collecting, processing, and preserving library materials and providing library services;
2. Researching, replying to inquiries and providing information relating to the legislature and laws;
3. Establishing and operating a digital library for the National Assembly;
4. Deleted; <Nov. 11, 2025>
5. Preparing and standardizing the national bibliography concerning legislative activities;
6. Exchanging and cooperating with domestic and overseas legislative support agencies, other libraries, etc.;
7. Other affairs necessary to provide support for legislative activities.
(2) The Library may provide library services for Government agencies other than the National Assembly; local governments; public institutions and organizations; educational institutions, research institutions, and the public. In such cases, public institutions, etc., eligible to use library services and the details thereof shall be prescribed by the Rules. <Amended on Dec. 3, 2024>
Article 3(Appointment of public officials) #
(1) The Library shall have the Chief Librarian of the National Assembly Library (hereinafter referred to as "Chief Librarian") and other necessary public officials.
(2) Public officials of at least Grade V shall be appointed and dismissed by the Speaker of the National Assembly (hereinafter referred to as "Speaker"); and other public officials shall be appointed and dismissed by the Chief Librarian; provided, the Speaker may delegate part of his or her appointing power to the Chief Librarian as prescribed by the Rules.
Article 4(Chief Librarian) #
(1) The Speaker shall appoint and dismiss the Chief Librarian with the consent of the House Steering Committee of the National Assembly.
(2) The Chief Librarian shall be a public official in political service and his or her salary shall be equal to that of a vice minister in the Government.
(3) The Chief Librarian shall preside over the affairs of the Library under the supervision of the Speaker, and direct and supervise public officials under his or her jurisdiction; provided, the foregoing shall not apply where personnel administration; budget and accounting; management of national funds; management of state property; commodities management; affairs concerning contingency plans; affairs concerning property registration by public officials; etc., of the Library are prescribed as affairs which fall within the competence of the National Assembly Secretariat or the Secretary General of the National Assembly under the National Assembly Secretariat Act; the State Public Officials Act; the National Finance Act; the Management of National Funds Act; the State Property Act; and other statutes.
Article 4-2(Documents to be attached at time of consent to the appointment) #
(1) When requesting the consent to the appointment of the Chief pursuant to Article 4(1), evidential documents concerning the following matters shall be attached:
1. Matters regarding occupation, educational background, and career;
2. Matters regarding the report on military service under the Act on the Report and Disclosure of Military Service Records of Public Officials;
3. Matters regarding the report on assets under Article 10-2(2) of the Public Service Ethics Act;
4. Records of payments and delinquency of income tax, property tax, and aggregate land tax for the recent five years;
5. Criminal records.
(2) If necessary, a person subject to the request for consent to the appointment under paragraph (1) may request the documents under the subparagraphs of the same paragraph from the head of a Stage agency, a local government, or any other relevant agency, and the head of such agency shall comply with such request.
[This Article Added on Jan. 12, 2021]
Article 5(Organization) #
(1) The support line agencies of the Library shall be the chiefs of offices, the chiefs of bureaus, and the chiefs of divisions; provided, where a title, such as the chief of an office, the chief of a bureau, or the chief of a division, fails to reflect the characteristics of the affairs of a relevant line agency, such support line agency may be named otherwise as prescribed by the Rules; any line agency named otherwise shall be deemed the chief of an office, the chief of a bureau, or the chief of a division, for the purposes of this Act.
(2) The Library may have officers in charge under the jurisdiction of the Chief Librarian, the chief of an office, or the chief of a bureau, so that they can directly assist the relevant chief; and may have a division under the direct jurisdiction of the Chief Librarian, which is not affiliated with any office or bureau.
(3) A Deputy Minister shall be appointed from among State public officials in general service in Grade I or II; a Director General from among State public officials in general service in Grade II, III or research officers; and a Director from among State public officials in general service in Grade III, IV or research officers (excluding public officials in fixed-term positions appointed pursuant to Article 26-5 of the State Public Officials Act), respectively; and a Director shall be appointed from among State public officials in general service in Grade II through IV or research officers (excluding public officials in fixed-term positions appointed pursuant to Article 26-5 of the State Public Officials Act) or from among State public officials in extraordinary civil service equivalent to Grade II through IV. Provided, That among positions that may be filled by State public officials in general service in Grade III or higher (excluding Directors or positions equivalent thereto), where it is recognized that expertise is particularly necessary due to the nature of the business affairs under their jurisdiction, public officials in fixed-term positions under Article 26-5 of the State Public Officials Act may be appointed to positions determined by Rule within the limit of 20/100 of the relevant prescribed number of staff. <Amended on Jul. 11, 2023>
(4) The fixed number of the officials appointed to the Library; the establishment of offices, bureaus, divisions and the appointment of officers in charge; and the allocation of duties among offices; and other necessary matters shall be prescribed by the Rules; provided, the Chief Librarian may determine the establishment of divisions, the appointment of officers in charge corresponding thereto, and the allocation of duties.
Article 6(Establishment of branch libraries) #
The Library may establish a branch library to efficiently conduct its duties defined under Article 2 and the preservation, management, etc., of library materials.
Article 7(Legal deposit of library materials) #
(1) Where a State agency, a local government, a public institution or organization, or an educational or research institution (hereinafter referred to as "public institutions, etc.") publishes or produces a library material, it shall ensure a legal deposit of two copies and a digital file of such library material is made with the Library within 30 days from the date such library material is published or produced. In such cases, the Library may collect online publications of public institutions, etc. <Amended on Dec. 3, 2024>
(2) Notwithstanding the former part of paragraph (1), the Library may request public institutions, etc., to submit 10 copies of any of the library materials prescribed by the Rules, including materials necessary for legislative activities, international exchange, etc., to the Library.
(3) Where an entity which is not a public institution, etc., publishes or produces a library material (excluding online materials; provided, online materials to which an International Standard Book Number has been assigned under Article 23 of the Libraries Act shall be included), it shall make a legal deposit of two copies thereof with the Library within 30 days from the date such material is published or produced. In such case, the Library shall pay fair, just compensation for such a material, to the person who has made the legal deposit thereof. <Amended on Dec. 3, 2024>
(4) Any person on whom a master's degree or doctoral degree is conferred by a school defined in Article 2 of the Higher Education Act or an institution of higher education established under any other Act shall ensure a legal deposit of two copies and a digital file of his or her dissertation is made with the Library within 30 days from the date such dissertation is published.
(5) The Chief Librarian may request cooperation from the heads of public institutions, etc., in order to strengthen the effectiveness of the legal deposits system. In such cases, the heads of public institutions, etc. shall comply with his or her request, unless there is a compelling reason not to do so.
(6) Procedures and compensation for legal deposits, and other necessary matters shall be prescribed by the Rules.
Article 8(Establishment of human resource information network) #
(1) The Chief Librarian may collect human resource information on persons who have expertise, to support legislative activities.
(2) The Chief Librarian may establish and operate a human resource information network to collect, manage, and utilize human resource information.
(3) Matters necessary for criteria for and scope of human resource information provided for in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be prescribed by the Rules.
Article 9(Exchange, alienation, discard, and withdrawal of library materials) #
(1) Where any library materials which the Chief Librarian deems inappropriate exist in the holdings of the Library, he or she may exchange them with, or transfer them to other libraries, public institutions, etc.
(2) Where materials have lost their utility or have been stained or damaged in the Library holdings, the Chief Librarian may discard or withdraw such materials.
(3) Matters necessary for criteria for and scope of exchange, alienation, discard, and withdrawal pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be prescribed by the Rules.
Article 10(Advisory Committee on Development of National Assembly Library) #
(1) The Advisory Committee on Development of the National Assembly Library shall be established under the jurisdiction of the Chief Librarian to provide advice and suggestions in response to requests from the Chief Librarian regarding the development of the Library; efficiently performing the duties provided for in Article 2; and formulating major policies.
(2) Matters necessary for the composition and operation of the Advisory Committee on Development of the National Assembly Library shall be prescribed by the Rules.
Article 11(Donation of money and other valuables) #
(1) Any person may donate money and other valuables to the Library to support the facilities, materials, and operation of the Library.
(2) Notwithstanding Article 5 of the Act on Collection and Use of Donations, the Library may accept money and other valuables.
Article 11-2(Request for data) #
The Chief Librarian may, with the permission of the Speaker, request State agencies or other agencies and organizations to provide materials necessary for the performance of duties. In such cases, the person who has been requested shall comply therewith unless there is a special reason.
[This Article Added on Jul. 11, 2023]
Article 12(Provisions on delegation) #
The Speaker shall determine matters required by this Act to be prescribed by the Rules and those necessary for the enforcement of this Act with the consent of the House Steering Committee of the National Assembly.
Article 13(Other Acts applicable mutatis mutandis) #
(1) Article 3 of the Libraries Act shall apply mutatis mutandis to "library materials," "library services," and "online materials" which are not prescribed by this Act. <Amended on Dec. 7, 2021>
(2) Article 2 of the Framework Act on the Development of Human Resources shall apply mutatis mutandis to "human resources" which are not prescribed by this Act.