10th Anniversary of Return, Special Exhibition of the King's Book 'Oegyujanggak Uigwe'

National Museum of Korea, 10th Anniversary Special Exhibition of Oegyujanggak Return
Over 460 Items Including 297 Volumes of Oegyujanggak Uigwe on Display Until March 19 Next Year

Restored reproduction of Gisa Jinpyo Rijanchan Uigwe.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomibeum] The National Museum of Korea is holding a special exhibition titled "Oegyujanggak Uigwe, The Meaning of Its Nobility" until March 19 next year, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the return of the Oegyujanggak Uigwe. The exhibition presents the results of research on over 460 items, including 297 volumes of the Oegyujanggak Uigwe, over the past decade, from a public perspective.

The exhibition is divided into three main sections. Part 1, "The King's Books, Oegyujanggak Uigwe," highlights the high-class value of the royal viewing copies of the Uigwe. Uigwe refers to documents that record the entire process of important state or royal family events during the Joseon Dynasty. Among them, one copy was elaborately decorated through a process called "Janghwang (粧?)" involving the best painters and artisans of Joseon and presented to the king; most of the Oegyujanggak Uigwe are such royal viewing copies.

Part 2, "Proper Politics Realized through Etiquette (Ye 禮)," deals with the specific contents of the Uigwe. It explores the dignified governance philosophy embodied in Joseon's "Yechi (禮治)" implemented through "Uirye (儀禮)" or rites. The Joseon kings pursued governance by etiquette, practicing exemplary rites to move ministers and subjects to follow willingly from the heart. It introduces the detailed procedures where ministers loyally assisted the king, and the king treated ministers with sincerity.

Morando Folding Screen

Part 3, "Harmony within Order," invites visitors to the royal banquet rites of the year Gisa (1809), where everyone fulfills their roles with proper etiquette, achieving overall harmony. Based on vivid records from the Uigwe, it presents the figures of Yeoryeong (女伶, assistants at events) and Junhwa (樽花, flowers made of paper or cloth) used to decorate the banquet.

The Oegyujanggak books were classified as Chinese books at the National Library of France in Paris until Dr. Park Byeongseon (1928?2011) discovered them in 1978, bringing them to public attention. In May 2011, 297 volumes of the Oegyujanggak Uigwe returned after 145 years. To commemorate the 11th anniversary of the late Dr. Park Byeongseon's passing (she died on November 23, 2011), who greatly contributed to the return of the Oegyujanggak to Korea, free admission will be offered from the 21st to the 27th of next month. In January next year, an academic conference and public lectures will be held based on the research achievements of the past decade.

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