Explore 500-year-old books, cultural treasures
Designated as the Korean government's Treasure No. 524-1, this book published in 1513 lists the names of successful candidates and supervisors of the Classics and Literary Licentiate Examinations, which was the Joseon Kingdom's civil service state examination. Courtesy of National Library of Korea
By Anna J. Park
A rare and precious opportunity to see dozens of books and cultural treasures that date back more than 500 years; the National Library of Korea begins a special exhibition for two months, starting Tuesday to mid-December on the first floor of the main building of the state-run library.
The exhibition displays some 50 antique documents, books and relics of Lee Eon-jeok, a high-ranking civil servant who lived from the late 15th to mid-16th century during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom.
Lee (1491-1553) passed the dynasty's highest civil service exam at the age of 23, and assumed prestigious government roles, including minister of the interior and Gyeongsang provincial governor, among many others.
Rare government-issued documents and books are displayed at the special exhibition on the first floor of the main building at the National Library of Korea from Oct. 15 to Dec. 15. Courtesy of National Library of Korea
Visitors at the exhibition can trace back the lives of Lee and his family 500 years ago by looking into rare documents and vivid relics of the time: from his daily stationary items and a personal jade seal, to a now-worn-out belt and hat that he wore as his first official uniform at the age of 23 in 1513. Various items that endured the test of time are displayed to meet people from the 21st century.
Lee's appointment certificates for governmental posts, his personal new year's resolutions, and hand-written letters sent to either Lee himself or his descendants by famous historical figures, including Yi Hwang, Song Si-yeol, Yu Seong-ryong, are other must-see items at the exhibition. Various books authored or compiled by Lee, mostly on the virtues and qualities of desirable civil servants and scholars, are also displayed.
The displayed relics and books come from Lee Eon-jeok's residence Dongnakdang in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The traditional hanok residence built in 1532 was designated as Korean Treasure No. 413 in 1964. Courtesy of National Library of Korea
Official poster image of the exhibition. Courtesy of National Library of Korea
The displayed relics come from Lee Eon-jeok's family residence Dongnakdang, located in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province in the southeastern region of the Korean Peninsula.
While the beautiful traditional Korean hanok residence built in 1532 was also designated as the Korean Treasure No. 413 back in 1964, altogether 3,043 antique books and rare documents have been preserved inside the residence, fortunately avoiding destruction in major wars during the past 500 years. The images and data of the survived 3,043 books and documents can be accessed at
for anyone interested.
The National Library of Korea hopes that this exhibition could provide a chance for the public to get closer to the nation's cultural assets and treasures, and shed new light on the priceless value of antique books and documents that have survived a long passage of time.