(KPL) Laos has officially taken over a new digital platform designed to manage and preserve its cultural heritage, marking a key milestone in cooperation with the Republic of Korea.

The handover ceremony of the Lao Cultural Resource Management System (LCRMS) was held on 19 December 2025 at the Lao National Museum.

The system was formally handed over by Nam Jang-woo, Director of the Planning and Operations Department at the Asia Culture Center, and received by Chanphet Khamphong, Director General of the Department of Literature and Publishing.

The ceremony was witnessed by Vansy Kuamua, Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, and Lee Dong-gu, Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Laos, along with senior officials from both countries.

Symbol of bilateral cooperation

Mr Vansy Kuamua said the project symbolised the close and sincere cooperation between Laos and the Republic of Korea and was implemented to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

He said the project had a total budget of three billion Korean won, or approximately 2.3 million US dollars, and was implemented over four years, from 2022 to 2025.

Beyond providing hardware and software, he said the project placed strong emphasis on improving the digital skills of Lao personnel to ensure the system’s long-term effectiveness and sustainability.

International standards and data ownership

According to the Deputy Minister, the LCRMS is built on Dublin Core Metadata, an international standard that allows Lao cultural data to be shared and connected with regional and global databases through application programming interfaces.

He stressed that while the Asia Culture Center holds the copyright for the system’s development, all Lao cultural data remains the sole property of the Lao state, under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.

To ensure security, the system includes a dual-backup mechanism, with backup servers located at the Asia Culture Center to guarantee data recovery in the event of emergencies. Under the memorandum of understanding, Laos will be responsible for operational and maintenance costs following the handover.

Phased implementation

Ms Chanphet Khamphong reported that the project was implemented in phases. In 2022, funding was allocated for system development and the establishment of the initial framework. In 2023, equipment was procured for the National Library, the National Museum and the Luang Prabang National Museum.

In 2024, data entry into the system and personnel training were carried out. In 2025, the final phase included the handover of equipment such as cameras and computers, as well as the full activation of the system.

Urgent task to save palm-leaf manuscripts

One of the most urgent objectives of the project is the preservation of more than 800,000 palm-leaf manuscripts across the country. These manuscripts contain valuable knowledge on history, literature, linguistics, traditional medicine and Buddhist teachings.

Officials warned that many of the manuscripts are at serious risk of being lost due to poor storage conditions, damage from termites and rodents, and natural disasters such as fires and floods.

The Ministry aims to expand the digital programme nationwide to document and preserve these records before they disappear, although budget constraints continue to limit large-scale field data collection.

KPL