Joseon Annals' Four Archive Editions Gather in Busan for First Time

The four archive editions of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty will be gathered and displayed in one place for the first time in history.

The National Palace Museum of Korea, part of the Korea Heritage Service, said Friday that it will hold a special exhibition titled "Records and Culture of Joseon, Passed Down for Ten Thousand Generations" jointly with the Busan Museum from July 7 to Aug. 30 at the special exhibition hall of the Busan Museum in Nam-gu, Busan. The exhibition marks the July session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Busan.

The special exhibition is an occasion to showcase various royal heritage items to domestic and international visitors coming to Busan to attend the World Heritage Committee. These include Korea's representative UNESCO Memory of the World items such as the "Annals of the Joseon Dynasty," "Royal Seals and Investiture Books of the Joseon Dynasty," and "Documents on Joseon Tongsinsa." The event aims to widely convey the historical value and global significance of Joseon's documentary culture.

The exhibition is composed of three parts. First, Part 1, "Joseon, a Nation of Records," displays items designated as Memory of the World, including the "Annals of the Joseon Dynasty," the "Diaries of the Royal Secretariat," the "Ilseongnok," and the Joseon Dynasty's "Uigwe." In particular, the annals from the four archive editions (Jeongjoksan, Odaesan, Jeoksangsan and Taebaeksan), which were reprinted after the Imjin War and stored separately in archives across the country, will be revealed together in one place for the first time.

Next, Part 2, "Symbols and Dignity of the Joseon Royal Court," displays royal seals and investiture books, which are representative symbols of the king and documentary heritage, along with royal portraits depicting the king's likeness. Various royal daily-life items held by the National Palace Museum will also be presented in large numbers. These include royal costumes such as the red wonsam robe and the phoenix-decorated hairpin worn by the wife of Prince Imperial Yeong, as well as blue-and-white porcelain, a silver cigarette case and a jade cup excavated from the tomb of Princess Hwayu (1740–1777, the tenth daughter of King Yeongjo). The "Portrait of King Yeongjo" and the "Portrait of King Cheoljong," which have a history of being temporarily moved to and stored in Busan during the Korean War, will also return to Busan.

In addition, royal ceramics made with the finest technology of the era will be introduced. These include "Donggwoldo" (National Treasure, held by the Seokdang Museum of Dong-A University), a palace painting that meticulously captured the buildings, terrain and some 3,000 trees of Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung palaces, as well as "White Porcelain Jar with Landscape and Bird-and-Flower Design in Underglaze Cobalt Blue" (National Treasure, privately held), a late Joseon white porcelain jar characterized by its rich volume and beautiful patterns.

Part 3, "Joseon's Window, Dongnae-bu," displays artifacts that vividly depict terrain, scenery and figures. These include "Painting of the Choryang Japanese Settlement" (held by the Jinju National Museum), which shows the appearance of Dongnae-bu (present-day Busan), the center of Joseon Dynasty diplomacy with Japan; the "Procession Painting of Joseon Tongsinsa" (held by the National Museum of Korea), a Joseon Tongsinsa document; and a "Landscape Painting" (held by the Busan Museum) by Yi Ui-yang, an accompanying court painter of the Tongsinsa.

During the exhibition period, hands-on and educational programs linked to the special exhibition will also be held separately. "The Flower Makeup of Nineteen-Year-Old Princess Hwahyeop" (July 23 and 29), which is conducted for World Heritage Committee attendees, is a program that lets participants experience royal makeup culture using cosmetics produced in a modern way by restoring traditional materials through artifacts found at the tomb of Princess Hwahyeop and documentary research.

In addition, the "Records and Culture of Joseon with Activity Sheets" education program (July 29) broadens understanding of the Joseon royal documentary heritage as participants listen to explanations via QR codes and fill out activity sheets. The exhibition runs through Aug. 30.