The Academy of Korean Studies Discovers Oldest Existing Joseon Dynasty Gwageo Exam Answer Sheet... 1447 Jeongjongso Civil Service Exam Paper

60 Years Earlier Than Gwonbeol Sigwon

Contemporaries of Seong Sammun and Shin Sukju

The Korea Institute of Korean Studies (Director Jeong Jong-seop) has discovered two original copies of the civil service examination poetry certificates from the reign of King Sejong in 1447 (Sejong 29) in their complete form.

Poetry certificates from the civil service examinations before the Imjin War are extremely rare, with only 12 known cases confirmed to date. The earliest previously known poetry certificate was from 1507 (Jungjong 2), written by Chungjae Kwon Beol (1478?1548), which has been designated as a national treasure. The newly discovered certificates date back 60 years earlier, making the finding significant as the original certificates have been found intact.

The Jeongjongso civil service examination answer sheet, the first of its kind in our country.

The owner of the certificates is Jeong Jong-so (鄭從韶), a civil official during King Sejong’s reign. His clan origin is Yeongil, and his great-grandfather settled in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsang Province, during the late Goryeo period. His father, Jeong Mun-ye, was an eighth-degree relative of the renowned poet Jeong Mong-ju.

Jeong Jong-so had five brothers, three of whom passed the civil service examination, indicating the family’s great prestige at the time. Jeong Jong-so’s great-grandson, Hosu Jeong Se-a (鄭世雅), was a righteous army leader who made significant contributions during the Imjin War. These certificates were entrusted to the Korea Institute of Korean Studies by the Hosu family residence of the Yeongil Jeong clan in Yeongcheon, Gyeongbuk.

Jeong Jong-so took the civil service examination in 1447 (Sejong 29) and passed as the first candidate in the third rank of the second class. His contemporaries included prominent figures such as Seong Sam-mun, Shin Suk-ju, Park Paeng-nyeon, and Jeong Chang-son. Although their collected works contain the answers to the examination questions, no physical copies have survived until now.

The Jeong Jong-so civil service examination poetry certificates held by the Korea Institute of Korean Studies are in excellent condition, allowing for full content analysis without difficulty. This material is highly valuable as the only known physical example of a 15th-century civil service examination poetry certificate, previously unknown. It also serves as an important original source for analyzing the formal characteristics of poetry certificates from that period.

Jeongjongso Mun-gwa Jungsi Sigwon, known as the first known answer sheet for the Gwageo exam in Korea.

The material was discovered by Professor Park Seong-ho of the Academy of Korean Studies during his review of the Korea Institute of Korean Studies’ archives. Professor Park conducted a detailed analysis and published his findings in the 52nd volume of the institute’s registered academic journal, Gukhak Yeongu (Korean Studies Research).

As of 2023, the Korea Institute of Korean Studies holds the largest collection of private historical records in Korea, totaling approximately 620,000 items. Recently, the institute has begun implementing RFID technology to manage its collections more systematically. This initiative is expected to lead to the discovery of additional valuable materials that have yet to be brought to light.

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