Archival culture in Joseon's royal protocols

A 2012 National Museum of Korea event revived a royal wedding in accordance with "Uigwe," Joseon Kingdom's court protocols.
/ Korea Times file

By Park Jeong-hye

Similar to a modern-day white paper,Uigwe of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) is a collection of royal protocols that records procedures of the royal ceremonies and rites in entirety from preparation to rewarding of persons of merit. Although the volumes compiled before the Imjin War did not survive, the extant Uigwe collection captures procedural processes of the ceremonies and rites of the royal court, including the volume detailing the Emperor Sunjong's enshrinement at Jongmyo Shrine in 1928.

Today, the Kyujanggak of the Seoul National University and the Jangseogak Archives of the Academy of Korean Studies have the largest holdings of the extant Uigwe collection. The collection of Uigwe housed at both of these locations (total 3,430 volumes and categorized into 833 types) was inscribed on the UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2007. This means that Uigwe is widely recognized for its historical and cultural significance asworthy of preservation and protection for all humanity.

Uigwe's uniqueness lies not only in its systematic structure that documents every aspect of any given event, but also in the binding techniques used. Even its exterior was extraordinary. In order to preserve Uigwe for posterity as"baeksemunheon" (literally, reference for one hundred years), each volume was bound with durability in mind. The size of books measuring about 45cm in length, 33cm in width, and 6cm in thickness on average is exceptional.

To enhance sturdiness, the front and back covers of each book were reinforced with brass strips approximately 3cm wide on the right-hand border, to which a brass ring was added for ease of carrying. This treatment contributes to its heavy weight. The luxurious details of the binding style forUigwe copies that were specially made for the king's perusal are especially striking. The deep, rich hue of the silk cover, ornamental patterns engraved on the brass plates, and multi-petaled chrysanthemum blossom ornaments all demonstrate the highest level of the book binding skills of the time.

Uigwe published during King Gojong's reign (1852-1919)

After being astonished by the dignified elegance of Uigwe's exterior, viewers become in awe of the vast scope and minute details of its contents. Uigwe's uniqueness is distinguished by the historical significance and rarity of its contents.
Details such as the list of lower-class artisans and their labor conditions; descriptions of the ceremony facilities; and the catalog of materials used in creating ceremonial craftwork are good examples. Such information was usually considered either unworthy or too trivial to be recorded, thus rarely covered in other existing literatures. Another point of differentiation is elaborate color illustrations that served as a visual guide. It is no exaggeration to say that these illustrations increase Uigwe's historical and cultural value by several times. In Uigwe, texts and illustrations mutually supplement each other in aiding the readers to understand complicated Confucian ceremonies and rituals more easily and clearly.

In recent years, it became easy to find reenactments of theroyal ceremonies in Seoul's palaces. These events help break down walls of emotional distance anyone might feel about the kings and life within the royal court and familiarize the royal culture of the Joseon Dynasty. Uigwe played a significant role in these efforts. Without Wonhaengeulmyojeongri Uigwe,which records King Jeongjo's visit tohis father's tomb, Hyeongryungwon, together withhis mother Lady Hyegyeong in 1795, it would have been impossible to faithfully reenact this magnificenttwo-day procession of 2,500 people accompanying the king from Hanyang(the capital of the Joseon) to Hwaseong.

It would have been also impossible to recreate the spectacular scene where a pontoonbridge is built across Noryangjin port and the entire procession crosses the Han River. Also, the restoration of Hwaseong Fortress, which is designated asa UNESCO World Heritage site and probably the most beautiful fortress builtduring the Joseon Dynasty, was solely made possible byHwaseongseongyeok Uigwe(Royal Protocol on Construction of Hwaseong Fortress).

We can also look to Uigwe dealing with palace construction for a solution to the question of how to restore, preserve and utilize the buildings at the Changdeokgung and Kyungbokgung palaces. We can also find detailed information on thecostume, cuisine, dance and music of the royal court in Uigwe concerning the garye(formal ceremonies such as wedding, coronation, investiture) and official banquets. It was thanks to the descriptions in Uigwe that we were able to reenact the banquet celebrating the eightieth birthday of Queen Sinjeong, who was a presiding figure in the court for a long time in the 19th century, andrecreate the dance and music performance, the floral decorations for the banquet hall as well as the dishes served on the banquet table.

In the last decade, the study of Uigwe has made astonishing achievements. Through study of Uigwe, we were able to quench our curiosity about the Joseon's court culture and gained more definite and concrete knowledge than ever before. Especially, the repatriation of theOekyujanggak Uigwe promises the next great stride forward in the study of Uigwe.

At the center of the Korean wave and the increased interests in Korean pop music and television shows stands a popular Korean drama, Dae Jang Geum (2003). Widely exported worldwide, this television seriesplayed a significant role in spreading the Korean wave far and wide. Recently, there has beena talk of a sequel in the pipeline.

If the sequel were to be planned, I hope that the newly gained understanding fromUigwe, of the different types of the royal cuisine and its ingredients, recipes and table settings will be applied. I also hope that the show will present a more faithful representation of the court culture throughthe setting and other supportive devices for the plot, so that the true picture of the Joseon's court culture and its elegance may be imprinted on the minds of viewers of the sequel, both domestic and abroad.

Park Jeong-hye is a professor at the Academy of Korean Studies.