Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

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Seungjeongwon Ilgi,
the diaries of the royal secretariat
Inscribed 2001
What are they
These Diaries contain historic records and state secrets
of the Joseon dynasty from the 17th century to the early
20th century; those from the late 19th century and the
early 20th century show how Western influence opened
the door of the closed dynasty.
Why were they inscribed
In addition to the detailed account of the methods
of government used by the Joseon Dynasty, the Diaries
recount the impact of Western civilization on traditional
Korea and the reflections and reactions of Korean society
and their representatives to that impact.
Where are they
Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies, Seoul National
University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
The Seungjeongwon, the Royal Secretariat of the
Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), was responsible for keeping
Seungjeongwon Ilgi, the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat,
a detailed record of the daily events and official schedules
of the court, from the Joseon dynasty’s first king, Taejo,
to its twenty-seventh and last, Sunjong. However, only
3243 diaries have survived, containing detailed information
on 288 years of the Joseon dynasty, from 12 March 1623
(the first year of the sixteenth king, Injo, to 29 August 1910
(the fourth year of the twenty-seventh king, Sunjong), the
year of the Japanese annexation of Korea.
All records were written daily in chronological order.
The details of the main text are written in the order
of the daily tasks of the Seungjeongwon, including
the king’s gyeongyeon (discussions with scholars
on the Confucian and other Chinese classics), the
Seungjeongwon’s personnel affairs, reports from
different ministries and the king’s commands. As
gyeongyeon became the means through which the king
could impart his aims for education and his political
opinions, they were recorded in detail, including the
time and place, a list of those in attendance, and the
subjects of discussion. Monthly records were usually
compiled into one diary, but sometimes into more than
� A few of the 3243 surviving volumes of the diaries of the Royal
Secretariat of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea.
one. The king’s appointments, including gyeongyeon,
meetings with court functionaries, administrative acts
and affairs in the queen’s inner palace, were listed in the
preface to a monthly diary.
The Joseon dynasty’s royal secretaries and scribes
attended all state meetings with civil and military officials
at which important decisions were made, and recorded
the proceedings and included classified information about
politics, economics, society, diplomacy and the military. As
a result, Seungjeongwon Ilgi contains many state secrets
of the Joseon dynasty and provides indispensable primary
data for the study of Korean history. Its historic value is
even greater than that of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty
(see page 124). The Diaries written in the late-19th century
and the early-20th century show how Western influence
reached the closed Joseon dynasty. Those written after
the Political Reform of 1894 record Japan’s intervention in
domestic affairs. They include the compulsory agreement
requested of the Joseon king and other secret court deals.
Seungjeongwon Ilgi, the diaries of the royal secretariat 227