Primary Sources for Korean Studies

Introduction

This page lists various Korean Studies primary source documents in translation, with a focus on historical documents from the Joseon Dynasty. The documents are categorized into four sections: Royal Documents, Literati Writings, Social Life and Economic Strategies, and Community-Building in Local Society. Clicking on the individual texts will lead to a page which includes the the primary source document in both its translation and original form, discussion questions, further readings, and images of the original documents. By clicking on a key concept, you will be taken to a page which lists all the currently available primary source documents related to that key concept.

Document List

This list is sortable by title, genre, year, document type, and translator. We suggest sorting by genre for the purpose of lesson plans.

Genre	Title	Key Concepts	Period/Year	Document Type	Translator
Royal Documents	Decree Appointing Yi Sunsin to Concurrently Hold the Position of Naval Commander of the Three Provinces of Ch'ungch'ŏng, Chŏlla, and Kyŏngsang (李舜臣 統制使敎書)	Imjin War Yi Sunsin Japan-Korea Relations	Joseon / 1597	Decree	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Royal Documents	Instructions for the Secret Tally (李舜臣 密符諭書)	Imjin War Yi Sunsin Japan-Korea Relations	Joseon / 1597	Instruction	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Royal Documents	Letter of Instruction Appointing Yi Tammyŏng as Provincial Governor of Kyŏngsang Province, Concurrently Army and Navy Commander, Border Inspector and Magistrate of T’aegu (慶尙道觀察使 李聃命 敎書)		Joseon / 1690	Decree	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Literati Writings	Resignation of Cho Sik in the Eulmyo Year (曺植, 乙卯辭職疏)	"Nammyeong" Cho Sik	Joseon / 1555	Resignation	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Literati Writings	On Physiognomy (丁若鏞, 相論)	"Dasan" Chŏng Yagyong	Joseon / ?	Essay	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Literati Writings	An Essay on Bold People (許筠, 豪民論)		Joseon / ?	Essay	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Social Life and Economic Strategies	Record of Property Distribution among Brothers from March 11th, 1601 (萬曆二十九年二月初七日同生和會文記)	Neo-Confucianism Gender Property Inheritance	Joseon / 1601	Record	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Social Life and Economic Strategies	Record of Pak Uihwon's Property Distribution (海南尹氏 分財記)		Joseon / 1602	Record	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Social Life and Economic Strategies	Record of Property Distribution among Brothers from 1621 (天啓元年四月十九日, 同生和會文記)	Neo-Confucianism Gender Property Inheritance	Joseon / 1621	Record	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Social Life and Economic Strategies	Property Distribution Record from the Meeting of the Hach'an-siblings (河鑽[河鎭兌]娚妹和會文記)	Neo-Confucianism Gender Property Inheritance	Joseon / 1757	Record	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Social Life and Economic Strategies	Certificate of Manumission for the House Slave (約家奴善一契券, 約家奴仁發文)		Joseon / 1695, ?	Record	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Social Life and Economic Strategies	Document for My Daughters, et al (嘉靖拾玖年庚子正月二十二日女子兄弟等亦中明文)	Nobi (Slave) Inheritance	Joseon / 1540	Record	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Community-Building in Local Society	Declaration of Prohibitions from Yangjwa Village (良佐洞 洞案)		Joseon / 1609	Declaration	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Community-Building in Local Society	Village Compact from Tunya, 3rd Village (里中契立議 辛卯)		Joseon / 1711	Compact	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Community-Building in Local Society	Worried about a Disaster, Old Woman Offers (Her Granddaughter) as Concubine (老媼慮患納小室)		Joseon / 1602	Story	Participants of 2016 Hanmun Summer Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)