Did You Know Korea's First Popular Novel Was Published in Naju 300 Years Ago?

Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of the Naju Edition of "Guwonmong"
Academic Conference and Special Exhibition Shed Light on the Future of Korean Literature

On the 27th of last month, a joint academic conference commemorating the 300th anniversary of the publication of the Naju edition of "Guunmong" was held at Duksung Women's University. Photo by Naju City

In celebration of the 300th anniversary of the publication of the Naju edition of the novel "Guwonmong," commemorative events honoring the roots of Korean literature are being held with great success in Seoul.

Naju City announced on the 1st that the "300th Anniversary Academic Conference for the Publication of the Naju Edition of Guwonmong" was recently held at Duksung Women's University in Seoul.

Through the academic conference and a special exhibition, participants reflected on the historical significance of the Naju edition of Guwonmong and explored the future of literature together.

The beloved national novel Guwonmong, cherished continuously from the Joseon Dynasty to the present, was originally written in 1687 and transmitted as handwritten manuscripts until 1725, when it was published as a woodblock print in Naju, marking the beginning of its mass distribution.

This event led to the birth of Korea's first full-fledged popular and commercial novel in Naju.

Professor Jeong Byungseol of Seoul National University stated in his keynote speech, "The publication of the Naju edition of Guwonmong opened the market for popular novels in the history of Korean literature," emphasizing that "it was a historic event that demonstrated how significant changes in our literary history can be initiated even in regional areas."

He also explained, "The family background of Jeong Gakseon, then magistrate of Naju, and the publishing infrastructure accumulated since the Goryeo Dynasty made this historic publication possible."

On the same day, the special exhibition "A House Built by Dreams" opened at the Tapgol Art Museum.

The exhibition re-examined the narrative of "dreams" in modern and contemporary literary works by writers such as Lee Gwangsu and Choi Inhun, including the woodblock edition of Guwonmong published in Naju in 1725.

Kang Sanggu, Deputy Mayor of Naju, stated in his congratulatory speech, "It is a great source of pride that Guwonmong, which has been read continuously from the Joseon Dynasty to the present, was published in Naju 300 years ago," adding, "We will continue to strive to ensure that Naju contributes to the development of Korean literature."

The special exhibition commemorating the 300th anniversary of the publication of the Naju edition of Guwonmong will run until the 20th, and the conference proceedings can be downloaded from the Baekho Literature Museum website.

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