The Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty , sometimes called sillok ( 실록 ) for short, are state-compiled and published records, called Veritable Records , documenting the reigns of the kings of Joseon . Kept from 1392 to 1865, they comprise 1,893 volumes and are thought to be the longest continual documentation of a single dynasty in the world. The records of the last two monarchs are believed to have been influenced by the Japanese colonial rule and, therefore, their credibility compromised. Excluding the records of the last two kings, the sillok is designated as the 151st national treasure of South Korea and listed in UNESCO 's Memory of the World registry.
29-591: In 2006, the annals were digitized and made available online by the National Institute of Korean History . Both a modern-Korean translation in hangul and the original in Classical Chinese are available. In January 2012, the National Institute of Korean History announced a plan to translate them to English by 2033. The work was scheduled to start in 2014 with an initial budget of ₩ 500 million, but it
58-609: A budget of ₩40 billion is needed to complete the project. It is a Korean historical informatization project that provides the public with search access to the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and the Seungjeongwon Diary. Starting in 2015, two emeritus professors of history served as lead authors of state-compiled history textbooks which were used at secondary schools starting in 2017. The two professors include Choi Mong-ryong who led
87-547: A chronological order so that the public can search out the needed information. For the purpose of promoting the popularization of history, the NIKH has developed other websites, including Historynet and Korean History On-line. In January 2012, the NIKH announced that they will translate the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty into English by the year 2033. With an initial budget of ₩500 million, they planned to start work in 2014 but estimated that
116-595: A handful of countries in the world use state-approved history textbooks, among them are North Korean and Vietnam. In November 2016, a draft version of three textbooks for middle and high school student were unveiled. These books were called the "Correct History Textbook" and were designed to assert the country's legitimacy and remove political bias. Civic groups heavily criticized the textbooks for beautifying dictators, and some stated they will not recognize it as an official textbook. Chunchugwan Chunchugwan ( Korean : 춘추관 ; Hanja : 春秋館 )
145-640: A special committee known as the Sillokcheong , or the Office of Annals Compilation. This committee included high-ranking officials and the most competent scholars. The compilation relied on various primary sources, including the sacho , historians' private memoranda, administrative records ( 시정기 ; 時政記 ), and the Journal of the Royal Secretariat . The compilation process consisted roughly of three phases. First,
174-498: Is a South Korean government organization in charge of researching, collecting, compiling, and promoting materials related to Korean history . It was established as the Office of National History ( Korean : 국사관 ; Hanja : 國史館 ; RR : Guksagwan ) in March 1946, one year after the liberation of Korea. It changed its name to the current form in 1949. It
203-565: Is located in Gwacheon , Gyeonggi Province . As a branch of the Ministry of Education , the NIKH certifies and supervises drafts of history textbooks used in middle and high schools. It conducts educational programs for government officials and teachers of elementary, middle, and high schools. It also operates a school to train competent translators of historical documents written in classical Chinese and pre-modern Japanese. The NIKH holds and supervises
232-608: Is the first nation in East Asia to have printed its royal records using movable type. Beginning in 1445, they began creating three additional copies of the records, which they distributed at various locations around Korea for safekeeping: the Chunchugwan office in Seoul , Chungju County, Jeonju County, and Seongju County . Despite this precaution, during the 1592–1598 Japanese invasions of Korea , all repositories were destroyed, except for
261-608: Is two people, Jeong 3-pum and Jong 3-pum (정 3품/종 3품; 正三品/ 從三品), and Jeong 5-pum and Jong 5-pum (정 5품/종 5품; 正五品/ 從五品) In Chunchugwan. The name Chunchugwan is also applied to the building which houses the approximately 150 domestic and international correspondents who cover the Blue House , the official residence of the President of South Korea. The first and second floor of the building has a pressroom and briefing room, respectively. Presidential news conferences and daily briefings are held in
290-550: The 1950–1953 Korean War to North Korea. The Jeongjoksan and Taebaeksan records were still held in the collection Kyujanggak , at Seoul National University (the successor to Keijō Imperial University). In the 1980s, the Taebaeksan copies were moved to the National Archives of Korea, Busan Center . National Institute of Korean History The National Institute of Korean History ( NIKH ; Korean : 국사 편찬 위원회 )
319-533: The Chunchugwan from the time of king Taejong of Joseon . It had been called Yemun or Chunchugwan during Goryeo era. Officers of Chunchugwan are made up of eight men. Their official rank is low, between Jeong 6-pum and Jeong 8-pum (정 6품/정 8품; 正六品/正八品), but they stay where the king is, for example, a royal progress, meeting with courtiers and attendance of morning assembly. They write Sacho (사초; 史草), recording popular sentiment and king's every movement. The Annals of
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#1733085926694348-431: The Joseon Dynasty is based on this recording. There are no officers in Chunchugwan, because workers of other offices hold an additional position in Chunchugwan. Yeonguijeong take consul that is the leader of Chunchugwan, Uuijeong (the second vice-premier) and Jwauijeong take governor and workers of other offices take rest of office positions. There are Jeong 2-pum and Jong 2-pum (정 2품/종 2품; 正二品/ 從二品) that each of them
377-562: The Korean History Proficiency Test four times a year, and sponsors the annual Korean History Competition among middle and high school students. The NIKH has established a systematic database and internet service network for the purpose of facilitating the investigation, collection, exhibition, and release of historical materials in cooperation with related institutions. The Korean history database provides original text of important historical materials, which are digitalized in
406-418: The content, and other historical agencies edited the content as necessary. In the past, schools selected from history textbooks written by eight private publishers who were approved by the government. The government pushed ahead the plan to adopt the single state-authored textbooks, suggesting the old ones were too left-leaning with pro-North Korean descriptions. Many others claimed this project will monopolize
435-411: The drafts and certain primary sources likely to contain historian commentary was a safety measure designed to insulate the historians from political influences and preserve the integrity of the records. An oft-cited story in the sillok about King Taejong falling off his horse has been used to illustrate the commitment of Joseon court historians to documenting even events displeasing or embarrassing to
464-466: The historians' private memoranda were pulped in water and expunged ( 세초 ; 洗草 ; lit. wash drafts ) to prevent leaks. Great care was taken to ensure the integrity of the records; historians were guaranteed legal protection and editorial independence, especially from the king. Only the historians were allowed to read the sacho ; if any historian disclosed or altered its contents, they were subject to severe punishment. Pulping and expunging
493-604: The holdings of Keijō Imperial University in Seoul. The Odae-san copies were taken to Tokyo Imperial University in Japan. There, they were mostly destroyed during the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake . The remaining 46 volumes in Japan were not returned to Korea until 2006. The annals of the last two Joseon rulers, Veritable Records of Gojong [ ko ] and Veritable Records of Sunjong [ ko ] , are controversial and considered by modern South Korean historians to lack
522-648: The impartiality of the other sources. This is because Japanese officials interfered in their creation and curation. They are thus considered relatively separate from the other records, and are not included in the National Treasures of South Korea or UNESCO's Memory of the World register. Around the liberation of Korea , the Jeoksangsan copies were partially looted during the instability; there are reportedly uncertain rumors that some of these copies were actually taken during
551-439: The king and the extent to which the king could not influence which stories were included in the sillok . The king himself rode a horse and shot arrows at a deer. However, the horse stumbled, causing him to fall off, but he was not injured. Looking around, he said, "Do not let the historians know about this." The historian present defied King Taejong's order and ensured that not only the king’s fall but also his wish to keep it off
580-410: The king at all times, and Joseon kings did not conduct official business without a historian present. The daily historical records produced by the eight historians were called sacho ( 사초 ; 史草 ; lit. raw historical material ), which served as the basis for the compilation. After the death of a king, the veritable records, or sillok , of the deceased monarch's reign were compiled by
609-500: The one in Jeonju . The Jeonju records narrowly escaped being destroyed by fire and were only saved by the private initiative of several scholars. After the war, the government began maintaining five repositories at Chunchugwan, Mount Myohyang , Taebaeksan , Odaesan , and Manisan . The 1624 Yi Gwal's Rebellion resulted in the destruction of the Chunchugwan repository. It was not replaced; they ultimately returned to printing four copies of
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#1733085926694638-410: The primary sources were gathered, and the historians produced the first draft ( 초초 ; 初草 ; lit. initial draft ). This draft was then refined into a second draft ( 중초 ; 中草 ; lit. middle draft ), which was reviewed and finalized by high-ranking officials into a final draft ( 정초 ; 正草 ; lit. official draft ). Once finalized, the drafts, sacho , and
667-413: The projects, the prospect of fulfilling his promise was not bright. Approximately 60,000 people, including superintendents of regional education offices, professors and middle and high school teachers, had signed a petition against the plan. These people said that the government needs to give more – not less – freedom to textbook producers in terms of determining what content should be included in books. Only
696-452: The record were documented. The records are written in Classical Chinese . The records of the first three kings of the Joseon dynasty— Taejo ( r. 1392–1398 ), Jeongjong ( r. 1399–1400 ), and Taejong ( r. 1401–1418 )—were handwritten. The records of Sejong ( r. 1418–1450 ) and later kings were printed using movable type , some wooden and others metal. Korea
725-564: The records and storing them at the other repositories. The Mount Myohyang copy was moved to Jeoksangsan in 1633. Part of the Manisan collection was lost during the 1636 Qing invasion of Joseon , and the surviving volumes moved to Jeongjok-san on Ganghwa Island in 1678. During the 1910–1945 Japanese colonial period , the records went under the control of the Japanese colonial government . The Jeongjoksan and Taebaeksan repositories were transferred to
754-459: The textbooks and throw the nation into an ideological war over how students should learn modern history. The decision drew fierce protests from opposition political parties, historians and educators. Education Minister Hwang Woo-yea pledged that the ministry will ensure diverse views are included in the new textbooks, saying that experts from many different backgrounds will participate in producing it. But as most liberal historians refused to be part of
783-497: The writing on Korean archeology, and Shin Hyung-sik who led the writing on ancient Korean history. Lead writers who are top-class scholars in their respective fields were selected for other eras as well. In total the project consisted of a 36-member team. In addition, history teachers participated as advisers and wrote some parts as necessary. After writing was completed, a review team of experts specializing in each historical era examined
812-650: Was a government office during the Joseon dynasty . It refers to the office for recording history. During the Goryeo dynasty , it was known as Yemun Chunchugwan (예문춘추관; 藝文春秋館) or Munhanseo (문한서; 文翰署), but the name was changed in 1401 after the foundation of the Joseon dynasty. Many people associate Chunchugwan with the Joseon dynasty era, but, in fact, Chunchugwan has existed since the Goryeo dynasty. It just begun to earn historical recognition from Joseon dynasty era. It started to be called
841-451: Was estimated that a total of ₩ 40 billion would be needed to complete the project. The Bureau of State Records , overseen by the three High State Councillors , served as the state archive for administrative records. However, the eight historians of the seventh, eighth, and ninth ranks in the Office of Royal Decrees ( 예문관 ; 藝文館 ) were responsible for maintaining daily records of official court activities. These historians accompanied
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