[3][4] The greater part of the Jikji is now lost; today only the last volume survives, and is kept at the Manuscrits Orientaux division of the National Library of France (BnF).

[7] He later served as the chief priest of Anguksa and Shingwangsa temples in Haeju, Hwanghae Province, and was published in two volumes in Seongbulsan in 1372.

The metal-print Jikji that was published in Heungdeok Temple is kept in the Manuscrits Orientaux division of the National Library of France, with the first page of the last volume (Book 1 in Chapter 38) torn off.

On the last page of Jikji is recorded details of its publication, indicating that it was published in the 3rd Year of King U (July 1377) by metal type at Heungdeok temple in Cheongju.

There is a record indicating that in 1377 Baegun's students, priests Seoksan and Daldam, helped in the publication of Jikji by using moveable metal type and the priestess Myodeok contributed her efforts as well.

The difference of the thickness of ink color shown on drawn letter paper is large, and spots often occur.

[clarification needed] There are also blurs and spots around the characters.The metal-printed Jikji became known to the world in 1901 through its inclusion in the appendix of the Bibliographie coréenne, compiled by the French sinologist and scholar of Korea, Maurice Courant (1865–1935).

In 1972 the Jikji was displayed in Paris during the "International Book Year" hosted by the National Library of France, gaining it worldwide attention for the first time.

A mold of the letter is then made by wrapping it with soil and pouring molten iron into the spaces where the wax has melted.

The typeface replicates the type of Jabi doryang chambeop jihae, which is known to have been produced at Heungdeoksa Temple in Cheongju around the same time period.

[15] Characters not found in the Jabi doryang chambeop jihae were created by combining strokes as printed in the lower volumes of Jikji.

Plancy, who had majored in law in France and went on to study Chinese, had served for six years as translator at the French Legation in China, between 1877 and 1883.

During his extended residence in Korea, first as consul and then again as full diplomatic minister from 1896–1906, Victor Collin de Plancy collected Korean ceramics and old books.

[16] From April to June 2011, 297 volumes with 191 different Uigwes of the Kyujanggak (Oegyujanggak), were shipped back in four separate installments and subsequently kept at the National Museum of Korea.