Epitaph of Yi Yun-tak Written in Hangeul (Korean Alphabet), Seoul

This stele was erected in 1536 by the civil official Yi Mun-geon (1494-1567) at the tomb of his parents Yi Yun-tak (1462-1501) and Lady Sin to prevent the tomb from being vandalized. It is the oldest extant stele bearing an inscription in Hangeul, the native Korean script created in 1443. As such, the stele is highly valued as a resource in the study of calligraphy and changes in Hangeul orthography.

The tomb of Yi Yun-tak was originally located at the site of Taereung Royal Tomb, located about 2 km to the southeast. When his wife Lady Sin died in 1536, the tomb was moved to its current location, where the couple was buried together. It was at this time that the stele was erected. Due to the expansion of the adjacent road in 1998, the stele was moved about 15 m behind its original location, which has since been marked with a stone. The stele consists of a pedestal and a body stone. The upper corners of the body stone were cut diagonally, which was a popular style in the early period of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910).

Among the stele's inscriptions, those on the front, back, and right sides are written in classical Chinese, while the one on the left side is written in vernacular Korean using Hangeul. The front side records the names of Yi Yun-tak and Lady Sin, while the back side records their biographies. The right side records a message imploring that the tomb and stele be protected from harm. The left side records the stele's name Yeongbi, meaning "Divine Stele," in classical Chinese at the top with a warning message written in Hangeul below. It was written in Hangeul so that it could be understood even by those who could not read classical Chinese. The message reads: "This is a divine stele, so those who disturb [this place] shall suffer calamity. This [message] serves to inform the illiterate."

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08