The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty is a dynastic history unmatched anywhere in the world. It chronicled 472 years of history across 25 reigns, from King Taejo to King Cheoljong, in chronological format. A total of five copies were produced and stored in four locations: the Chunchugwan repository in Seoul and repositories in Seongju, Chungju, and Jeonju. When all repositories except the one in Jeonju were destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasions of Korea, Joseon produced five copies again based on the Jeonju repository copy. This time, they were stored at Jeongjoksan, Odaesan, Jeoksangsan, and Taebaeksan, along with the Chunchugwan in Seoul.
Damage from war knew no end, and the Chunchugwan repository copy was lost during the Yi Gwal Rebellion. Fortunately, the four repository copies at Jeongjoksan, Odaesan, Jeoksangsan, and Taebaeksan were preserved until the Korean Empire period, but were later plundered by Japan during the Japanese colonial era, with some portions passing to North Korea.
Having endured all manner of hardship and scattered across various locations, the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty now converge in Busan. It marks the first time the four repository copies gather in one place. After liberation, the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty was designated a National Treasure and, in 1997, was inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
The National Palace Museum under the Korea Heritage Service announced Friday that it will unveil the four repository copies from Jeongjoksan, Odaesan, Jeoksangsan, and Taebaeksan together for the first time at the special exhibition "Records and Culture of Joseon, Handed Down to All Generations," opening at the Busan Museum in Busan. The exhibition, opening Sunday, brings together major documentary heritage such as the "Annals of the Joseon Dynasty" and "Uigwe of the Joseon Dynasty," along with more than 190 Joseon royal artifacts.
The event was specially prepared to commemorate the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held in Busan from the 19th of this month. Bae Min-seong, director of the National Palace Museum, stressed, "This is the first time since the National Palace Museum opened in 2005 that representative artifacts of the Joseon royal court are being unveiled on such a large scale in Busan."
Visitors can view side by side the four repository copies, including the Annals of King Taejong and the Annals of King Seongjong, which have been kept respectively at the National Museum of the Joseon Dynasty Annals, the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies at Seoul National University, the Jangseogak Archives of the Academy of Korean Studies, and the National Archives of Korea. It is worth comparing the features and differences of each repository copy, such as the Odaesan copy bearing traces of corrections in red, and the Taebaeksan copy distinguished by its blue cover.
Royal seals, ceremonial stamps engraved with the titles and names of kings and queens, and the royal books conferred together with the seals are symbols demonstrating the legitimacy of the royal court. Also on display are blue-and-white porcelain found in the tomb of Princess Hwayu (1740–1777), a daughter of King Yeongjo, as well as the red wonsam robe and hair ornaments worn by Princess Consort Yeongchin (1901–1989).
Among the "eojin," or royal portraits of kings, that of King Cheoljong draws particular attention. Unlike other kings, who are usually depicted in dragon robes, Cheoljong appears in military attire, which is intriguing. After the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the royal portraits were moved to a warehouse in Dongwang-dong, Busan, but were severely damaged by fire. Only the portraits of King Yeongjo and King Cheoljong survive in a state where the faces can be relatively recognized.
As the exhibition is held in Busan, stories of old Busan also fill the display. A painting of the Choryang Waegwan, offering a glimpse of the former Dongnae-bu, and a book compiling poems exchanged in Dongnae are among the works unveiled. A documentary painting depicting the procession of the "Joseon Tongsinsa," the diplomatic mission dispatched from Joseon to Japan after the Japanese invasions of Korea, and a landscape painting by Lee Eui-yang (1768–?), a court painter who accompanied the mission, are also noteworthy.
Jeong Eun-woo, director of the Busan Museum, said, "I hope this will be a meaningful time when our cultural heritage, which we wished to hand down to all generations, is reborn today as a shared memory of all humanity." The exhibition runs through August 30.
