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The Jangseogak Archives of the Academy of Korean Studies hosted a special exhibition of cultural heritage officially recognized by the central or a provincial government

Department International Cooperation and PR Team
Registration Date 2021-12-30
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The Jangseogak Archives of the Academy of Korean Studies hosted a special exhibition of cultural heritage officially recognized by the central or a provincial government: The Masterpieces of the Joseon Dynasty from the Jangseogak Archives

◇ The Jangseogak Archives of the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) hosted its 2021 Special Exhibition: The Masterpieces of the Joseon Dynasty from the Jangseogak Archives.
◇ In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the inception of the Jangseogak Archives, the exhibition presented all of its archived cultural heritage items that have been officially designated by the central and local governments (45 items total).
◇ The exhibition highlighted the history and value of each item.
◇ The exhibition was held from October 22 through December 17, 2021. Up to 15 persons with prior reservations were allowed to enter per hour.

□ The Jangseogak Archives (Director Ju Young-ha) hosted the 2021 Special Exhibition “The Masterpieces of the Joseon Dynasty from the Jangseogak Archives” from October 22 through December 17, 2021 to showcase all of the officially recognized cultural heritage items stored at the archives.
- ○ This is the 40th year since the AKS became responsible for preserving the items of the Jangseogak, which originated as the royal library of the Joseon Dynasty, after their transfer from the Cultural Heritage Administration in 1981.
- ○ It also marked the tenth year since the construction of a new building for the Jangseogak in July 2011 on the AKS campus so that the institution could better focus on raising awareness of the value of Korean cultural heritage through both exhibition and research.
- ○ In celebration of these twin anniversaries, the Jangseogak Archives put together on public display for the first time all 45 government-designated cultural heritage items stored at the institution.
□ The exhibition was organized into three sections in order to highlight the history and value of each category of literature on display: literature on the royal family, literature from the nobility, and literature purchased by the institution.
- ○ Part I “The history and culture of the Joseon royal family” presented the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, the Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty, the writings of Joseon Kings (including King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo), court documentary paintings, and maps of Primorskii during the reign of King Gojong. Yisip Gongshin Hoemengchuk – Bosagongsin Nokhunhu, a document that recorded the names of meritorious subjects and their descendants who demonstrated their loyalty to the king, was shown to the public for the first time. This document was 24 meters long and was recently upgraded to the status of national treasure.
- ○ Part II “The history of meritorious subjects and prominent families of the Joseon Dynasty” introduced items designated as valuable cultural heritage among those donated by prominent families, including messages endowed by kings to meritorious subjects, portraits of meritorious subjects, and other old documents. Particularly noteworthy were Jijeongjogyeok, the only remaining pandect of the Yuan Dynasty and the Korean version of Wolinchongangjigok.
- ○ Part III “Rare materials purchased from private individuals” featured Gukjojeongtorok, the sole remaining copy of this record of the Japanese and Jurchen invasions of the early Joseon era. It also showcased for the first time a range of Buddhist scripts stored at the Jangseogak, including Bekunhwasang Chorok Buljojikjisimcheyojeol, the original copy of which is the Jikji stored at the National Library of France.
□ Each item displayed at this exhibition was a form of designated cultural heritage with its own unique story and value.
- ○ The exhibition brochure contained an abundance of information and photos on the displayed items, to the extent that the brochure itself provided a valuable resource for research. To promote further understanding, it also included five essays on the displayed items.
- ○ The exhibition was designed to highlight each heritage item and help the audience satisfy their academic needs and interests.
□ The exhibition was held from October 22 through December 17, 2021. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, reservations were required through the AKS website (www.aks.ac.kr).
□ A video on this exhibition will be available on the AKS YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/tyfbO7zQpc0) from October 22.