Jo Jeong’s Diaries During the Imjin War

This is a diary kept by Jo Jeong (1555–1636), a scholar and official who served from the reign of King Seonjo to King Injo of Joseon, in which he personally recorded what he saw, heard and experienced during the Imjin War, the Japanese invasions that began in 1592. Jo Jeong studied under Kim Seong-il and Jeong Gu; when the Imjin War broke out he raised a volunteer militia and took part in the fighting, and in the 29th year of King Seonjo (1596) he served on the staff of Yi Won-ik, who was then military commissioner (docheChalsa). In the 36th year of King Seonjo (1599) he passed the lower civil service examination (samasi), and two years later passed the higher civil examination (mungwa), going on to hold posts such as assistant section chief of the Board of Taxation, inspector of the Office of the Inspector-General, and magistrate of Daegu. After his death he was posthumously conferred the rank of vice minister of the Board of Personnel. This work records events over roughly six years, from the 25th year of King Seonjo (1592) to the 30th year of King Seonjo (1597). The diaries of the Imjin War comprise six titles in seven volumes: the Imjin-ilgi (2 volumes), Namhaengnok (1 volume), Jinsarok (1 volume), Ilgi-bu-japnok (1 volume), Seohaeng-ilgi (1 volume) and Mungyeonnok (1 volume). The entries are set out by month and day in separate lines, though on some days with no events only the weather was recorded. Although several people left dozens of first-hand accounts of the Imjin War, Jo Jeong's Imjin-ilgi, apart from a gap of about ten days' entries in the year Imjin (1592), is more thorough and detailed over its roughly six years than any other such record. It is valuable material for the study of the history of the Imjin War, offering insight into the society of the time, the deployment of the army, and the activities of the volunteer militias.

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Where it is

Region

Sangju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물