Where would one report a tiger sighting in Jongno during the Joseon Dynasty? What about someone illegally cutting pine trees on Namsan, or a candidate suspected of cheating on the state examination? The answer is "Hanseongbu," the government office that administered the capital during the Joseon Dynasty.
Hanseongbu was a body similar to today's Seoul Metropolitan Government, but its responsibilities were far more diverse and its workload far heavier. So much so that a Korean proverb arose to describe a bustling crowd: "Like people with broken heads rushing to Hanseongbu."
On the 29th of this month, a program called "Seoul Cultural Night, Culture Bit by Bit," in which curators provide commentary on the exhibition, will be held. "We hope this will not only broaden understanding of Hanseongbu but also serve as an opportunity to view the city of Seoul, where we live, from a new perspective," said Choi Byung-koo, director of the Seoul Museum of History. The exhibition runs through July 12.
A special exhibition titled "This Is Hanseongbu," which sheds light on the work and lives of Seoul's civil servants during the Joseon Dynasty, is being held at the special exhibition hall on the first floor of the Seoul Museum of History in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Hanseongbu was a government office that operated from 1395, the year after the Joseon Dynasty moved its capital to Hanyang in 1394, until 1910. The exhibition illuminates the history and people of Hanseongbu through 90 artifacts and 99 items collected by the Seoul Museum of History over approximately 30 years.
When one thinks of Hanseongbu, the head official, "Panyun," comes to mind. As a senior position of the second senior rank and a gateway to becoming a minister of the six ministries, the position of Hanseongbu Panyun was held by many figures familiar to Koreans. Hwang Hui, the renowned 15th-century prime minister during the reign of King Sejong; Gwon Yul, the general who led the Battle of Haengju during the Imjin War; and Min Yeong-hwan, the Korean Empire official who resisted the Eulsa Treaty, all served as Hanseongbu Panyun. Because it was an appointed position subject to political influence, a total of 1,079 people passed through the seat over 515 years — roughly two per year. The longest-serving Panyun was Lee Seok-hyeong, who served for seven years during the reign of King Sejo.
Unlike today's Seoul Metropolitan Government, which handles local administration, Hanseongbu was an organization under the king's direct control and carried out litigation and household registry management not only within the capital but also nationwide. "Unlike provincial officials who were relatively free from interference, Hanseongbu officials had to take on heavy responsibilities and duties under the king's direct watch," a museum official explained.
In addition to the five districts within Hanyang Capital City, its directly administered area, Hanseongbu also managed the area within 10 ri outside the capital walls, called "seongjeosimni." A boundary marker called "Seongjeoori Jeonggyeseokpyo," which marked the boundary of "seongjeoori" — the midpoint of seongjeosimni — was discovered in Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, and is being shown in this exhibition.
Among the key artifacts that offer a glimpse into Hanseongbu's administrative system are "Seong Seok-rin Gosin Wangji" (Treasure), a document issued when Seong Seok-rin, the first head of Hanseongbu, was appointed as "Pangaeseong Yuhusasa" in 1402, and the "1379 Hanyangbu Sageub Ipan," the oldest existing notarized document, issued by Hanyangbu of the Goryeo Dynasty. The "Obu Gyehoedo," a painting depicting a gathering of mid-level officials called "chambong" from all five districts of Hanseongbu, is also of interest.
There is no shortage of vivid stories worth comparing with the present. In a "Junhogu," a household registry copy issued in 1774 during the reign of King Yeongjo to Lee Yun-gyeong, a Hanseongbu resident, a slave named "Owol" appears who was no less than 206 years old. The owner had not reported the slave's death out of greed to retain the slave as property, and Hanseongbu officials, without conducting a separate investigation, mechanically added years every three years, creating a "person on paper."
