'Samguk Sagi' Volume 1 Auctioned... Starting Price 150 Million KRW

Bound as a Single Volume Covering Volumes 22 to 26

A portion of the oldest surviving historical record, the "Samguk Sagi (三國史記)," has been put up for auction.

A portion of the Samguk Sagi has been submitted to the online auction "Traces of Life," hosted by Kovei Auction on the 5th of next month. The photo shows the Samguk Sagi, designated as a National Treasure. Photo by Yonhap News

Kobay Auction, an auction house specializing in culture and arts, announced on the 24th that over 600 items, including one volume of the "Samguk Sagi," will be featured in the online auction "Traces of Life" held on the 5th of next month. The "Samguk Sagi" is considered an essential resource for the study of the Three Kingdoms period. It was compiled in 1145 by Goryeo officials including Kim Bu-sik (1075?1151). It provides a detailed account of the rise and fall and transformations of Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje, and is regarded as the foundation of historical research. Two complete sets consisting of 50 volumes in 9 books, including the version held at Oksan Seowon printed around 1573 in the Gyeongju area and a version presumed to have been printed from woodblocks similar to those of the Oksan Seowon Samguk Sagi, are currently designated as national treasures.

The book up for auction is a single volume comprising parts corresponding to volumes 22 through 26. Kobay Auction stated, "It is estimated to have been published in the late 16th century," and added, "Regardless of the edition, it is an extremely rare and precious historical document." The starting bid is 150 million KRW.

This auction also features the reprint edition of Lee In-jik's (1862?1916) novel "Hyeolui Nu," the first edition of "Chiaksan" published in 1908, and the first edition of poet Baek Seok's (1912?1996) "Deer." The auction will be conducted online. Key exhibits can be viewed at the Kobay Auction exhibition hall from the 28th of this month until noon on the 5th of next month.

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