By Yoo Yeon Gyeong
Video = Lee Jun Young
The opening ceremony for “Ah, the Marvelous World of Joseon Dynasty Law Code,” an exhibition marking the designation of the Gyeongguk daejeon (National Code) as a treasure of national cultural heritage, was held on July 21.
The National Library of Korea in Seoul held the ceremony on the first floor of its main building the day before the exhibition was opened.
The event commemorates the June 23 designation of the edition of the code owned by the library as a treasure of national cultural heritage.
Written during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the code covered not only all laws for governing the country in sectors like politics, economy, society and culture, but also rules for the people.
The designated edition of the document was printed in the early 1500s. The Cultural Heritage Administration said, “Among the versions of the Gyeongguk daejeon announced in 1485, this edition came out the earliest and is thus extremely rare.”
Running from July 22 to Sept. 25 on the first floor of the library’s main building in Seoul’s Seocho-gu District, the exhibition introduces 13 legal codes from the Joseon era including the Gyeongguk daejeon. Its four sections — legal codes, orders from the king, penal codes and judicial precedents — have been recreated in a modernized way.
The first section, “Devising the law: legal codes,” features the history of compiling legal codes during the Joseon era, when written statutes debuted, centered on the Gyeongguk daejeon. Visitors can directly touch a photo print of the code, whose texture is like the original.
The second section, “The king’s words are law: king’s orders,” shows how the Joseon king’s orders were considered special laws and allows comparison with other codes of law.
“Hold a fair trial: criminal law and guidelines,” the third section, displays penal codes and guidelines used by law enforcement to fairly enforce the law. A video of Joseon trial procedures is also available.
The fourth and final section, “Main court cases and verdicts: precedents,” exhibits legal reports on court cases and verdicts. A video shows King Jeongjo (1752-1800) and his adviser Jeong Yak-yong (1762-1836) narrating a manslaughter case that is explained the reports.
A reaction video shows the original and translated texts of Joseon’s four main legal codes: the Gyeongguk daejeon, Sokdaejeon, Daejeontongpyeon and Daejeonhoetong. Interactive programs for readers are also available including storytelling videos and voting.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo Gyoon and about 30 other officials attended the opening ceremony for the document.
“A single book called the Gyeongguk daejeon reminds us of our country’s history and tradition of the rule of law,” Minister Park said. “We hope that this exhibition is an opportunity to highlight the merits of the rule of law, and we believe that knowing that the country has upheld the rule of law since long ago is also a pleasure in tracking history.”
The exhibition is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. but is closed on the second and fourth Monday of every month and on national holidays.
(The names of the exhibition and its sections are all unofficial translations).
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo Gyoon (left) on July 21 looks at the original Gyeongguk daejeon (National Code) of the Joseon Dynasty at the exhibition “Ah, the Marvelous World of Joseon Dynasty Law Code” on the first floor of the main building at the National Library of Korea in Seoul. (Kim Sunjoo)
dusrud21@korea.kr
