National Library of Korea Secures List Confirming Toegye Yi Hwang’s State Exam Success... To Be Released After Digitization

Secured During Acquisition of Ancient Books
To Be Released After Digitization Process

The National Library of Korea announced on December 24 that it has, for the first time, secured a contemporary list confirming the successful passing of the state examination by Toegye Yi Hwang, a leading figure in Joseon Neo-Confucianism.

List of Successful Candidates of Toegye Yi Hwang. Provided by the National Library of Korea

During its recent acquisition of 899 volumes across 231 types of ancient and modern books, the National Library of Korea collected the "Gajeong 7th Year Muja February 24 Saengwon Jinsa Bangmok" (嘉靖七年戊子二月二十四日生員進士榜), which records Toegye Yi Hwang’s passing of the Jinsa-si, the entrance exam for Sungkyunkwan, in 1528.

This bangmok is a metal-type printed edition produced using the Chojugapin type cast in 1434. Until now, only a 1909 woodblock reprint had been known to exist, making this the first time the original contemporary bangmok confirming Toegye Yi Hwang’s success has been identified. As a decisive historical record that details Toegye’s early academic activities and entry into government service, it holds significant historical value.

The National Library of Korea explained that this acquisition provides an important clue for research on both Toegye Yi Hwang’s life and the civil service examination system of early Joseon. Hyun Hyewon, Head of Ancient Books, said, “Directly confirming Toegye Yi Hwang’s success in the state examination through a bangmok printed at the time is a major achievement,” adding, “It will serve as an important foundational resource for Korean studies research.”

This material will be digitized and released as original images in the future.

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