Ulsan Museum's Hambak Miso ... 'Treasures' Have Arrived in Droves

Successful Acquisition of 217 Important Artifacts and Masterpieces in Ulsan in the First Half of the Year with 77 Cases
Preserving Precious History Including Waeinsu Pyo, Sunoin Do, and Hwang Taeja Postcards

Maejogwaeseokdo in the collection of Ulsan Museum.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Over 200 precious relics like jewels have been acquired by the Ulsan Museum this year.

The Ulsan Museum announced on the 21st that it purchased a total of 217 important and masterpiece relics related to Ulsan in 77 cases during the first half of this year for high-quality special exhibitions and various themed displays.

Key relics acquired by the museum include the Wa-in Supyo (倭人手標), records of meetings with Japanese envoys during the Joseon Tongsinsa missions, documents from Onsan-myeon, official letters such as the Jeong Gisang Eonyang Byeongma Jeoljedo-wi Gyoji, Gyeongsang Left Byeongsa letters, materials from the Lee Hoe-myeong family residing in Ulsan, the diary of Lee Geun-o, the Unified Korean Spelling Proposal, a photo album documenting the construction of Sayon Dam, and materials related to Choi Hyun-bae, among other old documents and modern materials related to Ulsan.

The museum also succeeded in acquiring masterpieces such as Kim Myeong-guk’s Sunoin-do, Sim Sa-jeong’s Maecho Gwaeseok-do, and the Yeongnam map.

The ‘Wa-in Supyo’ is a record summarizing the agreements made during meetings between the Joseon Tongsinsa and Japanese envoys, serving as an important clue to the activities of the Joseon Tongsinsa after the Imjin War.

The ‘Lee Hoe-myeong family’ materials include the 1907 family register and family register fragments of Lee Hoe-myeong, Jaesul poetry books by Lee Ha-rak, and the funeral document of Lee Cheong-rak, providing a glimpse into the local social atmosphere and lifestyle of Ulsan at the time, representing a small history of Ulsan.

Jeong Gi-sang Unyang Byeongma Jeoldowi Official Document.

The diary of Lee Geun-o is a record of daily life by Juko (竹塢) Lee Geun-o (李覲吾, 1760?1834). Lee Geun-o was a civil official in the late Joseon period, born in Ungchon-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan City. He was the first person from Ulsan to pass the civil service examination and served as a Joseon official, holding positions such as Byeongjo Jeongrang and Saheonbu Jipyeong.

Materials related to Mr. Choi Hyun-bae include the Unified Korean Spelling Proposal, Hangeul Gal, Nara Sarang, and magazines about Hangeul.

Sunoin-do is a work by Yeondam Kim Myeong-guk, a master painter who dominated the 17th-century Joseon art scene and was famous for his bold brushwork. It was painted for locals during his visit to Japan as part of the Joseon Tongsinsa mission.

The ‘Sunoin’ in Sunoin-do refers to a deity overseeing human lifespan, symbolizing the origin of longevity and health. At the top of the painting, there is a poem written by Daika Reisen (1610?1691), who was in charge of hosting the Tongsinsa mission on Tsushima Island, Japan, making this a treasure-level relic of great importance for research on Korea-Japan exchanges.

Sunoin-do.

Sim Sa-jeong’s Maecho Gwaeseok-do shows originality in composition, technique, and brushwork. It is a large and rare work among Sim Sa-jeong’s bird-and-flower paintings.

An official from the Ulsan Museum said, “With this year’s acquisitions, we have secured treasure-level masterpieces as well as Ulsan-related relics and modern materials, allowing us to offer visitors high-quality exhibitions.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.