97 rare books from Dosan Seowon proposed as national treasures

Four rare early Joseon texts comprising 97 volumes, preserved for centuries at Dosan Seowon in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, have been proposed for national treasure designation.

According to the Korea Institute for Local Administration of Cultural Heritage, the Cultural Heritage Administration formally proposed national treasure status for 97 volumes across four titles deposited by Dosan Seowon on Thursday.

The works include "Gwolliji" (13 volumes) and "Uirye Gyeongjeon Tonghae" (20 volumes), both printed in the Choju Gapin typeface, as well as "Daemyeong Iltongji" (60 volumes) printed in the Eulhae typeface and "Sohak Eonhae" (4 volumes) printed in the Eulhae-style scripture typeface.

The materials are the only complete sets known to survive in Korea and are considered significant records of the development of metal-type printing technology and publishing culture in the early Joseon period.

"Uirye Gyeongjeon Tonghae" carries particular historical weight as a book bestowed upon Yi Hwang — known by his pen name Toegye — by royal decree in 1570.

A record in the Joseon Dynasty Annals from 1630 notes that a scholar who could not obtain the book in China reported that only one complete set existed in Korea, at Dosan Seowon.

"Daemyeong Iltongji" is a geographical compendium compiled during the reign of Ming Emperor Yingzong in 1461, while "Sohak Eonhae" was presented to Dosan Seowon in 1588.

"Sohak Eonhae" is particularly valued by scholars because it preserves the orthographic conventions and tone-marking dots of its era, making it an important resource for studying changes in the Korean language in the late 16th century.

Dosan Seowon deposited more than 10,000 items — including old books and historical documents stored in its Gwangmyeong Hall and Jangpangak — with the Korea Institute for Local Administration of Cultural Heritage in 2003. The institute has since continued systematic preservation and research of the materials.

Dosan Seowon is a Confucian academy dedicated to Toegye Yi Hwang. In 2015, "Confucian Printing Woodblocks of Korea" was inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, and in 2019 the seowon was included among nine Korean Confucian academies inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Jeong Jong-seop, director of the Korea Institute for Local Administration of Cultural Heritage, said the designation was "an important milestone in receiving national recognition for the historical and academic value of the collection that Dosan Seowon has safeguarded for hundreds of years," adding that the institute would work to "systematically preserve these precious records and share them with the public through research, exhibitions and education."