Documents of the Namwon Yang Clan

These seven documents have been passed down by the Namwon Yang clan for generations. They include four red certificates from the Goryeo(918-1392) and Joseon(1392-1910) periods, two white certificates from the Joseon period, and a letter of appointment to government office. A white certificate was given to those who passed the lower state examination and a red certificate was given to those who passed the higher state examination.

1. Red certificate granted in 1355 to Yang I-si (?-1377)

2. Red certificate granted in 1376 to Yang Su-saeng (?-1379 ; son of Yang I-si)

3. White certificate granted in 1508 to Yang Gong-jun (1484-1525)

4. Red certificate granted in 1520 to Yang Gong-jun

5. Red certificate granted in 1540 to Yang Hong (1508-1564 ; son of Yang Gong-jun)

6. Letter of appointment as magistrate of Cheongdo granted in 1559 to Yang Hong

7. White certificate granted in 1591 to Yang Si-seong (1556-?)

These documents show the difference between certificates of examination issued in the two dynasties. The Goryeo-period certificates use the term “order of the king”(wangmyeong), while the Joseon-period ones use the term “royal edict”(gyoji). Also, on the Goryeo-period red certificates, the examiner’s name and official post are written.

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