The “Geunjeongjeon Jeongsi-do and Yeonggusi Folding Screen” is a historical artifact provided by the National Heritage Administration of Korea.
SEOUL, May 1 (Korea Bizwire) — A rare eight-panel folding screen from the Joseon Dynasty, depicting a royal court examination held during the reign of King Yeongjo (1724–1776), is slated to be designated as a national treasure, the Korea Heritage Service announced on Tuesday.
The screen, titled “Royal Examination at Geunjeongjeon Hall and Collaborative Poetry Scroll,” is among six cultural artifacts the government plans to elevate to treasure status following a 30-day review period. Housed at the Seoul Museum of History, the artwork serves as both a visual record and literary artifact, offering a vivid glimpse into court life in 1747.
The painting commemorates the 60th birthday of Queen Dowager Inwon, the second queen of King Sukjong, and portrays a rare special state examination known as jeongsi held at the Gyeongbok Palace grounds in her honor. These examinations were conducted irregularly to celebrate national milestones or royal occasions.
One panel features King Yeongjo’s own poem, while the following six include poetic responses from 50 of his court officials, forming a collaborative literary piece known as yeongusi — a traditional format in which poets take turns writing lines.
The full screen stretches more than five meters in width. Its first panel depicts Geunjeongjeon Hall, framed by the northern Bukhansan mountain and the iconic Yeongjegyo Bridge, providing a richly detailed representation of the palace grounds. The second panel contains King Yeongjo’s own verse: “To found and to revive is the law of long generations; in Hanyang, where dragons crouch and tigers sit.”
The Korea Heritage Service emphasized the artifact’s historical value, stating that the contents align closely with entries in the Annals of King Yeongjo and the Seungjeongwon Ilgi (diary of the royal secretariat), marking it as one of the earliest surviving examples of such court illustrations with a precisely documented creation date.
Also slated for designation is a rare metal-type print of Zizhi Tongjian (資治通鑑), a revered Chinese historical chronicle covering over 1,360 years of East Asian history up to the founding of the Song Dynasty. The edition, held by Yeungnam University Library, dates back to 1436 and includes volumes 81 to 85 from a 294-volume set printed using the early Joseon dynasty’s copper movable type.
Additional treasures include four sets of Buddhist woodblocks from Unmunsa Temple in North Gyeongsang Province. Among them are the Essentials of the Water and Land Rite of Heaven and Earth and the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment, noted for their early production dates and completeness. These blocks were studied in 2016 by the Research Institute for Buddhist Cultural Heritage.
“These wooden blocks are the oldest surviving examples of their kind and are accompanied by books printed from them, making them invaluable as primary sources,” said a heritage official.
The designation of the artifacts will be finalized following expert review by the Cultural Heritage Committee later this year.
Image credit: Korea Heritage Service, Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
