Time-honored royal records of Joseon Kingdom

A depository at Janseogak, library specializing ininvaluable classical texts of the Joseon Kingdom / Courtesy of Academy of Korean Studies

By Ock Young-jeong

The Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) placed a priority on Confucianism and civil administration as its national policy was very committed to compiling, publishing, distributing and preserving books.

Publishing books was an effective way to civilize the people in the kingdom where Confucianism was regarded as a political ideology, and the government actively took advantage of this. Gangyeongdogam was used to mainly publish Buddhist scriptures in the early Joseon Kingdom and Hunryeondogam was printed on wooden movable type during the early 17th century, in times of scarcity due to large-scale.

There were books published by the private sector such as temples, institutions, royal clans and individual as the occasion demands even though the volume of books were smaller than that of government-led books, Gwanpanbon. By the late Joseon period, books for commercial purposes called Banggakbon began to be published.

Currently, the Jangseogak Archives of the Academy of Korean Studies houses various books published from the Joseon Kingdom and central government organizations.

Along with the Gyujanggak of Seoul National University, Jangseogak plays a key role as the repository of works dealing with traditional Korean history and culture across the Joseon era. In particular, The Jangseogak Archives are meaningful as they inherits the imperial house book collection of the royal archives that King Gojong attempted to establish during the era of the great Han Empire.

In 1908, the following year after imperial Japan forced Emperor Gojong to abdicate the throne, he tried to gather the royal documents scattered around various institutions such as Gyujanggak, Hongmungwan, Jibokjae and Sigangwon, and house them in Insugwan for efficient management and then to establish a royal archive.

However, as Korea was forcibly annexed by Japan in 1910, the project was abandoned. And whole royal documents were rearranged by imperial Japan. The department of the royal household was relegated to “Iwangjik” and the imperial house book collections were temporarily housed in Seonwonjeon of Changdeok Palace. And this library was called the library department of Iwangjik.

This library department took over Jeoksangsagobon in Muju in 1911 and military journals from each military camp in 1914. As the volume of works increased, the books were relocated to a new building, located southeast of Nakseonjae in Changdeok palace in 1915. In 1918, The name Jangseogak has became known and has been widely used since 1918.

As Iwangjik Museum moved to Deoksu Palace, the Jangseogak collection moved too. After liberation, the U.S. army military government in Korea reorganized Iwangjik to the department of old place administration.

Changgyeongwon was authorized to manage the Jangseokgak collection in 1955. And since September 13, 1961, the Jangseokgak collection has been opened to the public. During the Korean war (1950-1953), the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (sillok) was taken out by North Korea though the classic novels in Hangeul that were housed in Nakseonjae were transferred to Jangseogak in 1950 and the documents housed in the Chil palace were transferred to Jangseogak in 1964.

In addition, the remains of Bongmodang and Bogak were transferred in 1969, and materials from the Jongmyo Shrine and Neungjaesil in each royal tomb were transferred in 1970.

Thus, Jangseogak became an archive for preserving the invaluable classical texts of the Joseon Kingdom. These materials were transferred to the Academy of Korean Studies in 1981. The Academy of Korean Studies reopened the Jangseogak Archives in a new building in 2011 to continue to maintain the legacy of it.

Looking into several packets of materials that show the characteristics of royal documents housed in the Jangseogak Archives, they can be divided into the royal genealogy of the Joseon Kingdom, gunyeong deungrok (military-related records), Classical Hangeul novels from Nakseonjae, Yeongjo Uje (King Yeongjo’s literary works), records on food and costume and paintings.

First of all, the royal genealogy of the Joseon Kingdom, that describes the whole pedigree of the Joseon royal household, includes about 567 volumes of books such as ‘Seonwonseongyerok’ that lists direct lineages from the progenitor to King Taejo Lee Sung-gye, ‘Seonwonrok’ and ’Seonwongyebogiryak ’ that lists past kings and their lineal relatives, ‘Donnyeongbocheob’ that lists kings and queens’ relatives, ‘Seonwonsipdaerok’ that lists kings’ remote relatives and ‘Seonwonsokbo’ that lists princes and their families as a genealogical record (Daedongbo). These materials contain the academic value of royal genealogy showing diversity and continuity.

Classical novels in Hangeul, previously housed in Nakseonjae, inside Changdeok Palace, were the narrative genre widely read among court ladies. Nakseonjae was built by King Heonjong in 1847 for his concubine Kim and housed many materials written in Hangeul. Currently, studies on the characteristics of the structure and content of Hangeul novels and transitions in modern Hangeul have continuously been carried out.

Yeongjo Uje (King Yeongjo’s literary works) is the poetry and prose written by King Yeongjo. King Yeongjo left the second largest volume of poetry and prose after the preceding King Sukjong. It is not only because he liked to write, but also because his reigning period was relatively long and his grandson Jeongjo built Bongmodang to preserve his works. Yeongjo Uje, that represents the Jangseogak collections shows the daily life and emotions of past kings.

Records on the food and costume of the Joseon Kingdom are classified as Uigwe (book of state rites) records in royal feasts, Jinyeon and Jinchan, Balgi that records in food and costume for royal feasts and rites and documents on Giroso-related affairs. These records state the actual cuisine, costume and culture of the Joseon Kingdom.

Painting materials are mostly comprised of record paintings, commemorative paintings, historical paintings of the royal court, Taebongdo mountain paintings, mural paintings in tombs and topographic paintings. These are usually produced or procured by the royal court. Through the paintings, we can appreciate the high class and dignity of royal paintings of the Joseon Kingdom.

The Upcoming 2015 is the centennial year since the royal library was rebuilt in the southeast of Nakseonjae in Changdeok Palace. The process of compiling, gathering and preserving the books of Jangseogak as a government compilation collection shows the great history of hardship and achievement that the Joseon Kingdom went through. Keeping the time-honored royal records of the Joseon Kingdom in a state of good preservation and making the best use of them will be the ways to prepare for the upcoming centennial year and to begin a new era of Jangseogak Archives.

The writer is a professor of the Academy of Korean Studies.