Goryeosa(2021-1)

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2114-1

Category

Books & Records

Era

1482년(성종 13)

Designated year

2021

Location

관악구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 관악구 관악로 1 (신림동, 서울대학교) 규장각한국학연구원

Coordinates

37.466287, 126.948156Kakao address conversion

This English description was machine-translated and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the original Korean text for details.

The Goryeosa (History of Goryeo) represents the official Goryeo historical record compiled by scholars including Jeong In-ji (1396-1478) and Jeong Chang-son (1402-1487) in 1451 (first year of King Munjong) in biographic style, standing as one of Korea's two major official histories alongside the Samguksagi. As the most important source material for Goryeo-era research and the most fundamental resource for understanding Goryeo history and culture, the work comprises one hundred thirty-nine volumes total, organized into forty-six volumes of royal lineages, fifty volumes of biographies, thirty-nine volumes of treatises, two volumes of chronological tables, and two volumes of catalogs. While late-Goryeo officials Lee Jae-hyun and An Chuk attempted compilation efforts, these remained incomplete. Following Joseon's founding, King Taejo Yi Seong-gye commissioned the Goryeongunsa compilation, but this survives no longer. In 1414 (fourteenth year of King Taejong), King Taejong ordered revision and recompilation attempts which remained incomplete. King Sejong ultimately ordered new compilation to address errors, undergoing multiple revisions before beginning compilation in 1449 (thirty-first year of King Sejong) and completing the work in 1451 (first year of King Munjong). This represents the Goryeosa transmitted to present times. While metal-type Ulhaeja editions were produced in 1455 (first year of King Sejong), with subsequent middle-period Ulhaeja editions reportedly recarved on woodblocks, currently extant examples include 1482 (thirteenth year of King Seongjong) Ulhaeja printings, 1613 (fifth year of King Gwanghaegun) woodblock revised editions, and subsequent editions from the seventeenth-eighteenth centuries. The Goryeosa possesses exceptional historical, cultural, and bibliographic significance, functioning as official history crucial for understanding Goryeo's past, employing original primary sources ensuring objective accuracy and reliability, and containing abundant information on Goryeo culture and institutions, meriting treasure designation for preservation and scholarly research. Seoul National University's Gyujanggak designation target comprises one hundred thirty-one volumes in forty-three volumes printed in Ulhaeja type. Originally containing forty-six complete volumes including catalog contents, royal genealogies, examples, prefaces, advance dedications, and historical officials' records in the first volume, with royal lineages comprising volumes one through forty-six in volumes two through fifteen, treatises in volumes sixteen through thirty, chronological tables in volume thirty-one, and biographies in volumes thirty-two through forty-six, various volumes among the forty-six are substituted with manuscript copies including volumes nineteen through twenty-one (volume eight), volumes thirty-one through thirty-three (volume twelve), and volumes seventy-three through seventy-four (volume twenty-six), with partial losses in volumes sixty-five and sixty-six, though overall condition remains sound. Notable detail includes ink-brush notation 'gongsaseventeen' appearing on certain cover labels, suggesting possible original forty-seven volume composition. Book covers reflect rebound status, not original condition. Title calligraphy displays both cursive and running-script formats with varied formatting—some containing only title text while others include volume numbers—indicating compilation from previously separate transmitted editions into single sets. Book spines show ink-brush characters 'geom' and 'woo,' presumably indicating collection information from transmission history. Title plaque displays three formats: 'goryeosa' or 'yeosa' titles, and content category classifications such as 'ji,' without title slips but using ink-brush inscriptions. Notable cover portions display 'gongsacheongil' total-volume notations recording forty-seven volumes. Present volumes reveal that volumes thirty-three through thirty-four represent combinations of different transmitted editions, suggesting the cataloged designation 'Kyugi5553' comprises quality copies primarily with current preservation. Despite these limitations, the treasure Goryeosa (Gyujanggak possession) containing one hundred thirty-one volumes in forty-three volumes represents the most ancient surviving Ulhaeja printings, maintaining exceptionally high scholarly value.

Location