Restoration of Joseon Dynasty 'Mugwa Geupje Hongpae' Predating Treasure-Designated Hongpae

Rare Case of 御寶 Used on Red Seals in the 15th Century

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The National Archives of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 14th that it has completed the restoration of the royal certificate (Wangji) of Kim Su-yeon (金壽延 王旨), which was issued earlier than the early Joseon Dynasty military examination Hongpae (royal certificate) currently designated as a treasure.

Hongpae (紅牌) is a certificate given to those who passed the civil or military service examinations during the Joseon Dynasty. The restored Hongpae is the 1434 military examination Hongpae of Kim Su-yeon, issued one year earlier than the currently designated treasure Hongpae. The Kim Su-yeon Wangji is a Hongpae (royal certificate) issued on March 11, 1434 (the 16th year of King Sejong) to 'Don Yonggyowi Hoik Siwisa Ujin Seopbusajik Kim Su-yeon,' who passed the military examination as the first person in the Eulgwa (second class) category (top scorer).

Kim Su-yeon (1419?1455) was from Naju, Jeolla Province, of the Gimhae Kim clan, and was a leading figure alongside generals Choi Yun-deok and Kim Jong-seo during King Sejong's reign, pioneering the development of the Four Garrisons and Six Garrisons and achieving numerous military accomplishments. At that time, the examination system from the Goryeo Dynasty was still in place, and the military examination system had not yet established the Gabgwa (first class) ranking, so the first person in the Eulgwa category was considered the top scorer (Jangwon).

From an academic perspective, it is significant that the actual Hongpae (royal certificate) of the 1434 military examination candidate, previously known only from military examination records, has been confirmed. The National Archives particularly noted the royal seal ‘Gukwanghaengbo (國王行寶)’ stamped on this Hongpae (royal certificate) as a noteworthy feature.

Previous studies based on the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty suggested that Hongpae (royal certificates) issued between March 1433 and October 1443 used the seal ‘Gukwangsinbo (國王信寶).’ However, the discovery of ‘Gukwanghaengbo’ on Kim Su-yeon’s Wangji necessitates a revision of this view.

Professor Park Seong-ho of the Academy of Korean Studies explained, “From March 1433, a newly minted royal seal began to be used. In the early stages of the system, ‘Gukwanghaengbo’ was used even on Hongpae, the documents certifying passing the examination. As the system stabilized, it is presumed that ‘Gukwanghaengbo’ was strictly used for official appointment documents, while ‘Gukwangsinbo’ was used for examination certificates.”

Professor Park added, “The 1434 Kim Su-yeon military examination Hongpae is a royal certificate issued by the state to successful candidates of the military examination in early Joseon. It is noteworthy as an original document issued one year earlier than the 1435 military examination Hongpae of Jo Seo-gyeong and the 1435 military examination Hongpae of Lee Im, both currently designated as treasures.”

The records restored by the National Archives this time include two items: the Kim Su-yeon Wangji and a royal document of Kim Su-yeon’s son, Kim Ho-in, which were held by the Gimhae Kim clan. These records were selected for the National Archives’ customized restoration support project last year and were restored over about four months starting in May this year.

Choi Jae-hee, director of the National Archives, said, “Through the ‘Customized Restoration and Replication Support Project’ supported by our institute, we have restored the original form of military examination Hongpae from the era of King Sejong in the Joseon Dynasty and confirmed a new usage of royal seals in early Joseon, which is very meaningful.” He added, “We will continue to actively support the complete preservation of nationally important records held privately.”

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