A total of 297 Oegyujanggak (the Ganghwa Island branch of Gyujanggak, the royal library of the Joseon Dynasty) Uigwe (records of the State rites of the Joseon Dynasty) books were returned to Korea from France with the completion of the fourth delivery on Friday, May 27. Thus, the uigwe books of the Joseon Dynasty returned to Korea after 145 years. Most of them are uigwe books for ‘royal inspection’, meaning that they were specially produced to be examined by the king. Thirty out of the 297 books are one-of-a-kind, so they have very high cultural and academic value.

To welcome the return of the Oegyujanggak uigwe books and in response to the widespread interest in the return of Korean cultural assets to the nation, an ‘event welcoming the return of the Oegyujanggak uigwe’ is scheduled for Saturday, June 11. The event will begin with a goyuje ritual (visit to an ancestral shrine, etc. to announce a great event) on Ganghwa Island before noon. It will also feature an authentic ibong parade of the Goryeo era and a congratulatory performance at Gyeongbok Palace in the afternoon.

The National Museum of Korea (NMK) will hold a special exhibition (titled ‘The Return of the Oegyujanggak Uigwe from France: Records of the State Rites of the Joseon Dynasty’) for 62 days from July 19 through September 18 to enable the general public to see the uigwe books of the Joseon Dynasty that have been returned to Korea. The NMK will present the 30 one-of-a-kind publications online by the end of the year, and it plans to present all 297 books online by 2013. The NMK will support research into the books and produce photographic editions, doing its utmost for their preservation and use. The NMK has also drawn up plans to develop and provide related cultural products.

Pages from “Garye Dogam Uigwe,” depicting a scene from the royal wedding

of 66-year-old King Yeongjo and his 15-year-old bride Jeongsun of Joseon Dynasty in 1759 

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