Seungjeongwon ilgi
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| Author | Seungjeongwon |
|---|---|
| Language | Middle Korean, Early Modern Korean |
| Publication place | Joseon |
| Website | https://sjw.history.go.kr/main.do |
Seungjeongwon ilgi (Korean: 승정원일기) or the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat are a record created by the Seungjeongwon (Royal Secretariat), one of the central political institutions during the Joseon Dynasty. It primarily documents interactions between the king and various government departments and was continuously written from the founding of Joseon until its fall.[1] Today, it is managed by the SNU Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies.[2] The record itself was written in Classical Chinese.[3]
One of the most distinguishing features of the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat is its detailed and extensive entries. As an official document of the Joseon Dynasty, it also provides valuable insights into the international affairs of East Asia at the time, including interactions with neighboring states, making it a highly significant historical source.[4]
As such, the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat is an essential resource for studying the history of Joseon. Alongside the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, it is considered one of Korea’s most representative cultural assets. Currently, it holds the designation of National Treasure No. 303 of Korea and was inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2001.[5][6]
Writing Method
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The Seungjeongwon Ilgi (the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat) was compiled by the Seungjeongwon (Royal Secretariat), one of the central political institutions of the Joseon Dynasty. The Royal Secretariat consisted of six seungji (senior secretaries), two juseo (junior secretaries), as well as 28 clerks. Although the six seungji were the core members of the institution, the actual compilation of the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat was primarily handled by the two juseo.[7]
The two juseo in charge of record-keeping transcribed every aspect of the king’s discussions with his officials regarding state affairs. Since all records were written by hand with a brush, this required quick transcription from the secretaries.
Their work was divided into two shifts, each shift involving one person writing half of the record while the other completed the remaining half. However, as the workload increased, a single individual often had to write the entire record, sometimes leading to occasional inaccuracies. In such cases, the writers referred to records from other scribes to ensure accuracy.
Documents submitted to the king, such as petitions or reports, were not directly recorded by the juseo but were instead transcribed by the clerks and recorded in the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat.[8]
Value as a historical source
[edit]Currently, the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat contain only records from the later part of the Joseon period. This is because all earlier records were destroyed by fires during the Imjin War.[2] As a result, the surviving records cover 271 years, from the reign of King Injo in 1623 to that of King Gojong in 1894 (or 287 years if the Korean Empire period, which lasted until 1910, is included).
Despite the loss of earlier records, their sheer volume is truly remarkable. While the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty comprise 888 volumes with approximately 49,646,667 characters, they span an astounding 3,243 volumes and contain 242,500,000 characters.[9]
Moreover, they serve as an official government document and a primary historical source that meticulously records state affairs between the kings and their officials during the Joseon period. By documenting all aspects of governance, they also provide invaluable insights into the international dynamics of East Asia at the time, including relations with China and Japan. This makes their preservation highly significant.[10]
For these reasons, they have been designated as National Treasure No. 303 of South Korea and were inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2001.[11]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ JaHyun Kim Haboush (1988). The Confucian Kingship in Korea: Yŏngjo and the Politics of Sagacity. Columbia University Press. p. 251. ISBN 0-231-06657-0.
- ^ a b 강, 진갑, "승정원일기 (承政院日記)", 한국민족문화대백과사전 [Encyclopedia of Korean Culture] (in Korean), Academy of Korean Studies, retrieved 2024-12-25
- ^ Orchiston, Wayne; Green, David A.; Strom, Richard (2014). New Insights From Recent Studies in Historical Astronomy: Following in the Footsteps of F. Richard Stephenson. Springer.
- ^ "국가유산청". CULTURAL HERITAGE ADMINISTRATION (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-12-25.
- ^ "Seungjeongwon Ilgi, the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat". unesco. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
- ^ "한국의 세계기록유산". kmowkc.org (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-12-25.
- ^ "승정원일기". sjw.history.go.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ "승정원일기". terms.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ "국가유산청". CULTURAL HERITAGE ADMINISTRATION (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ "승정원일기". sjw.history.go.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ "『승정원일기(承政院日記)』 - 유네스코와 유산". Retrieved December 28, 2024.
External links
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| Authority control databases: National |
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