Gwonmunhae Choganilgi

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.879

Category

Books & Records

Designated year

1986

Location

예천군, 경상북도— 경상북도 예천군

Coordinates

No precise coordinates are available, so this item is not shown as a map marker. To be added later.

Chogan ilgi is a diary written by Gwon Mun-hae (1534-1591), a scholar and civil official of the Joseon Dynasty. He passed the civil service examination in 1560 and served in several important government positions. He was well-known not only as a good governor but also as a writer who compiled an encyclopedic work titled Daedong unbu gunok. This diary consists of 3 books, including 117 pages of Seonjo illok, 90 pages of Chogan ilgi, and 34 pages of Sillan ilgi. As a daily journal written by a government official before the Japanese invasion of 1592, it provided significant information to cover the loss of historical records burnt during the war. Similarly, Chungjae ilgi (Diary of Chungjae) by Gwon Beol and Miam ilgi (Diary of Miam) by Yu Hui-chun were used as reference materials during the compilation of Joseon wangjo sillok (Annals of the Joseon Dynasty). This diary shows the lifestyle of a Confucian scholar of those times since it precisely records his everyday life. Furthermore, as not only a central but also a local government official himself, he recorded a wide range of subjects in this diary, such as the affairs of the government, functions of the local offices and officials, characters of inter-party conflicts, politics, military affairs, social issues, education, culture, and geography. It is regarded as an important material, giving comprehensive information about the life of the people at that time.