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Culture1481

Dongguk yeoji seungnam compiled

By order of King Seongjong, No Sa-sin, Seo Geo-jeong, Yang Seong-ji and others compiled the Dongguk yeoji seungnam, a geography recording the history, landscape, customs and notable people of every county.

To strengthen central rule, Joseon compiled geographies recording each county’s land, population, products and military resources. The geography compiled under Sejong survives as the Sejong sillok jiriji (1454), and under Seongjong Yang Seong-ji and others completed the Paldo jiriji. Building on it and adding poems and prose from the Dongmunseon, the Dongguk yeoji seungnam was compiled in 50 volumes in 1481, recording for each county its history, mountains and rivers, local products, walls, pavilions and notable people.

The revised and enlarged Sinjeung Dongguk yeoji seungnam of 55 volumes (1530, under Jungjong) survives today. Its opening map, the Paldo chongdo, shows Usando (Dokdo) together with Ulleungdo.

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The map in 1481

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States and rulers at the time
Joseon — Seongjong

People

  • Seongjong1457 – 1495

    monarch · Ninth king of Joseon, who completed the Gyeongguk daejeon code and promoted Sarim scholars

  • Seo Geo-jeong1420 – 1488

    author · Scholar-official under Seongjong who led the compilation of the Dongguk tonggam, Dongguk yeoji seungnam and Dongmunseon

Before and after

Earlier
1480 Joseon White Porcelain
Later
1485 Compilation of the Dongguk tonggam

Themes that include this event

  • Ulleungdo and DokdoAD 512 – 1905

    From Isabu’s conquest of Usan-guk to Imperial Decree No. 41 — two East Sea islands recorded as Korean throughout