Joseon Wangjo Sillok (Annals of the Joseon Dynasty)
covers 472 years (1392-1863) of the history of the reigns
of 25 kings, from the dynasty's founder King Taejo to King
Cheoljong. In chronological order, the king's everyday
affairs, court functionaries' everyday reports to the king,
the king's commands, and other daily matters dealt with in
the public offices are compiled in 1,893 chapters in 888
books.
To keep up the compilation of Joseon Wangjo Sillok involved many historians, historiographers,
and censors, who were responsible for writing daily drafts, editing them, and printing the resulting
volumes. These writers participated in every national conference and kept records of the actual
details of national affairs that were decided in discussion between the king and officials. Their
freedom of expression and of maintaining secrecy were constitutionally guaranteed. Their daily
records were placed in the custody of the Chunchugwan Office of Annals Compilation. Except for
the
historians, nobody was allowed to read them, not even the king. Any historian who disclosed the
contents was severely punished as a felon. The regulations and ordinances governing
historiography were very strict.
When a king died, a temporary office of annals compilation was set up and the annals of his
reign were published posthumously and preserved in the historical archives under rigorous
management. To further safeguard them, a set of the annals was deposited in each of the four
archives located in four key mountainous locations nationwide: the Jeongjoksan, Taebaeksan,
Jeoksangsan, and Odaesan Archives. Some were reduced to ashes during the Japanese and
Qing invasions but were reconstructed and reprinted.
There are 2,077 existing volumes that were collected from the archives: 1,181 from the
Jeongjoksan Archive, 848 from the Taebaeksan Archive, 27 from the Odaesan Archive, and 21
scattered copies called Sanyeopbon. They were all registered in UNESCO's Memory of the World
in October 1997.
The Joseon Wangjo Sillok covers the historical and cultural aspects of the Joseon Dynasty
including politics and diplomacy, military affairs, law, economics, industry, transportation,
communications, social systems, customs and manners, arts and crafts and religion. These
enormous historical and cultural resources, of unprecedented accuracy, serve as an encyclopedia
of the Joseon society. Their beautiful font types also show the advanced printing methods of
Korea from early on. Today they are indispensable materials for the study of Korean history while
providing diverse resources for the study of other East Asian countries including Japan, the China,
and Mongolia.
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