Amid the Success of "The Man Living with the King": National Library of Korea Holds Special Exhibition on Danjong and Eom Heungdo Through Ancient Documents

Held on the First Floor of the Main Building from March 24 to April 19

First Public Unveiling of the "Wanmun" Issued by the Ministry of Military Affairs in 1733

Six Original Works on Display, Including the Annals of King Danjong and The Sorrowful Story of Danjong

The National Library of Korea is holding a special exhibition of related ancient documents, reflecting the increased interest in Danjong and Eom Heungdo following the success of the film The Man Living with the King.

The National Library of Korea is holding a special exhibition on ancient texts related to Danjong and Eom Heungdo, reflecting the increased interest due to the box office success of the movie The Man Who Lives with the King. Photo by the National Library of Korea.

The National Library of Korea announced on March 18 that it will host a special exhibition titled "Danjong and Eom Heungdo Through Ancient Documents," which re-examines ancient documents related to Danjong and Eom Heungdo. The exhibition will be held from March 24 to April 19 at the Open Yard on the first floor of the main building of the National Library of Korea in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

At this exhibition, the "Wanmun," issued by the Ministry of Military Affairs in 1733, the ninth year of King Yeongjo, will be unveiled to the public for the first time. This official document was issued to exempt Eom Cheol-eop, the sixth-generation descendant of Eom Heungdo, and others from military and miscellaneous duties by order of King Yeongjo and to serve as evidence of this exemption. It is regarded as material showing how the state honored the loyalty of Eom Heungdo and respected his descendants.

This "Wanmun" was entrusted to the library in 2019 and, with the consent of the depositor, will be made available to the public only during the special exhibition period.

The exhibition will also showcase six original ancient documents related to Danjong and Eom Heungdo. Visitors can trace the process of Danjong’s exile through the Annals of King Danjong and the Annals of King Sejo. The historical novel The Sorrowful Story of Danjong by Lee Kwangsu will be displayed as both a handwritten manuscript from the 1930s and a printed edition from 1935.

In addition, the biographies Records of the Loyal Subject Eom and Records of the Righteous and Loyal Eom, which collect records and accounts of Eom Heungdo’s deeds, will be presented to shed light on his loyal life and how later generations have remembered him.

A representative from the National Library of Korea stated, "We expect that this exhibition will serve as an opportunity to expand the interest in historical figures, sparked by the film, into the realm of documentary heritage."

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