Odaesan Sagobon Annals Return to Original Place After 110 Years

Seongbo Museum Renovated as National Joseon Dynasty Annals Museum
Odaesan Sago Annals and Royal Protocols Transferred for Preservation and Exhibition

After the Imjin War (1592?1598), the Joseon Dynasty established four external archives (外史庫) deep in the mountains to disperse and store state and royal books. These were Jeongjoksan Sago, Jeoksangsan Sago, Taebaeksan Sago, and Odaesan Sago. Odaesan Sago was built in 1606 (the 39th year of King Seonjo’s reign) in Dongsan-ri, Odaesan, Jinbu-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon Province. It managed both royal books such as the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, the Uigwe of the Joseon Dynasty, and Seonwonrok (royal genealogies), as well as general books. Over time, the number of books transferred and enshrined, including the Annals and Uigwe by each reign, increased. According to the 1909 "Odaesan Sago Collection Catalog," the number reached 4,416 volumes. However, when the Japanese Government-General of Korea began organizing books in 1911, all were moved without exception to the Government-General’s Investigation Bureau, the Secretariat’s Branch Office, and the Education Bureau. During this process, many of the Odaesan Sago copies of the Annals and the Uigwe were taken to Japan’s Tokyo Imperial University and the Imperial Household Agency. It was only after more than 100 years of continuous efforts by civilians, the Buddhist community, and the government that these were repatriated.

The Odaesan Sago copies of the Annals and the Uigwe, having endured many trials, are returning to their original place. The Cultural Heritage Administration has renovated the Woljeongsa Temple Cultural Heritage Museum located on Odaesan-ro, Jinbu-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, into the National Museum of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, which will open on the 11th. The Odaesan Sago copies of the Annals and the Uigwe, which had been kept at the National Palace Museum of Korea since their repatriation, will be transferred here for preservation and exhibition. The museum consists of a storage facility preserving and exhibiting 1,207 artifacts, a permanent exhibition hall, a special exhibition hall, and an immersive video theater. A Cultural Heritage Administration official stated, "We plan to prepare an exhibition retracing the compilation and distribution (分上, making multiple copies of important records to store in archives and government offices) of the Annals and Uigwe kept at Odaesan Sago, as well as their journey through the Japanese colonial period and eventual repatriation."

The Odaesan Sago copies of the Annals to be unveiled include nine volumes of the Seongjong Sillok, fifty volumes of the Jungjong Sillok, fifteen volumes of the Seonjo Sillok, and one volume of the Hyojong Sillok. The Jungjong Sillok, which makes up the majority, is complete except for six volumes: volumes 11, 12, 19, 20, 98, and 99. These are proofread copies, printed on thinner and lower-quality paper than the original editions, making them very lightweight. Traces of bookplates and labels remain in various places, showing the hardships royal books endured during the Japanese colonial period. Park Suhee, a curator at the National Palace Museum of Korea, explained, "All 145 volumes bear the stamp 'Tokyo Imperial University Library' (東京帝國大學圖書印), and on the lower right of the covers of seventy-four volumes, except for the Hyojong Sillok, there is a square book label 'A00/4308' used by the old Tokyo Imperial University." She added, "This is a distinctive feature of the Odaesan Sago copies and was an important clue in identifying the Hyojong Sillok discovered in 2017 as part of the Odaesan Sago collection."

Among the 230 types and 399 volumes of the Uigwe that extend to the reign of King Gojong, forty-three types and eighty-two volumes are preserved here. The repatriation movement began in 2006 when the National Assembly requested the Japanese government to return them. All were produced after the late 19th century. Most of the content focuses on the life cycles of royal family members, including funerals, investitures, marriages, and memorial rites. Curator Park said, "Since the main purpose was compiling royal family records, it is presumed that detailed records of the lives of royal figures were necessary." She added, "Funeral-related Uigwe account for more than 40% of the collection, and there are complete sets of funeral Uigwe from state funerals to burial rites for figures not included in the royal family scope, such as King Cheoljong and Queen Cheorin." The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "These repatriated cultural heritage items vividly show the ordeals cultural assets have endured throughout our history. We hope that the establishment of the museum will widely promote and share their tangible and intangible values."

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