Charles la shure Professor, Department of Korean Language and Literature, Seoul National University Park seok-hwan Professor, Korea University of Media Arts
BooKs & More 72 KoREANA spring 2016
First English Translation of the Annals of a Joseon King “the annals of king t’aejo: Founder of korea’s Chosōn Dynasty” Translated and Annotated by Choi Byong-hyon, 1028 pages, $58.00, Cambridge: Harvard University Press (2014)
“The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty” are a valuable treasury of the history of Korea’s longest-ruling Confucian dynasty, indispensable to any student and scholar of Korea’s history. Although much work has been done to bring them to the modern world in Korean, “The Annals of King T'aejo: Founder of Korea’s Chosōn Dynasty” is the first time any part of the annals has been translated into English. King Taejo was originally Yi Seong-gye, a general of the Goryeo Dynasty who led a coup against the monarchy, ascended the throne, and founded a new dynasty in 1392. His reign lasted for only six-and-a-half years, but he played a vital role in establishing the Joseon Dynasty [Chosōn Dynasty by the McCune-Reischauer Romanization system] before abdicating the throne in 1398 in favor of his second son. Compilation of the official annals of his rule did not begin until 1410, two years after his death, because it was thought that it would be impossible to write an objective record while the former king still lived. The annals are straightforward in terms of their structure. A general introduction that describes Taejo’s rise to power is followed by the records of his reign, arranged according to year. It is not light reading by any means, although the general introduction does read more as a narrative than the official annals, with history interspersed with tales of Yi Seong-gye’s bravery and martial prowess, particularly his skill with a bow. The annals themselves are necessarily more disjointed, consisting of separate entries for each day (sometimes skipping a day or so when nothing of import happened), but they contain a wealth of information. Memorials to the throne, generally the longest kinds of entries, comment on statecraft and proper leadership, offering insight into the political processes of the Joseon Dynasty. The shorter entries can be fascinating as well, with accounts of meteorological phenomena such as rain, hail, thunder, wind, fog, and frost; astronomical phenomena such as the movement of planets and the moon in relation to the stars and constellations, solar halos, eclipses, and the appearance of meteors; and other natural phenomena such as the blooming of trees, insect damage to flora, and the appearance of certain portentous animals. Sometimes the interest in such phenomena is scientific, while at other times it is clear that they are accorded deeper significance. There are also, of course, discussions of political, economic, diplomatic, religious, and military affairs, giving readers a fuller picture of life at the time, while entries that detail the actions and interactions of the king often provide a glimpse into Taejo’s personality beyond his official role as head of state. In addition to the text itself, the book benefits from meticulous annotations, glossaries of terms, people, and places, and a thorough index. Within the text, specific terms are often followed by the original (Romanized) Korean terms in parentheses. This can slow down reading, but considering that this is a text for scholars as opposed to casual readers, such attention to detail is very welcome. Finally, the translation reads quite naturally and easily, avoiding the awkwardness that can sometimes plague translations of academic texts. This may not be an entry-level text for readers new to Korea and her history, but for scholars who may not have the full command of Korean required to read modern Korean translations it will be an invaluable resource. No serious scholar of Korean history will want to be without this book.