Chogan ilgi (Diary of Gwon Mun-hae)

The Diary of Gwon Mun-hae is a collection of hand-written records of political situations and daily life from 1580 to 1591, kept by Gwon Mun-hae (1534-1591), a civil official and scholar of the middle period of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910).

The collection consists of three books: “Seonjo illok,” “Chogan ilgi,” and “Sinmyo ilgi.” “Seonjo illok” is the record of Gwon Mun-hae’s activities as a government official and his daily life from 1580 to 1584. “Chogan ilgi” is the revised text of “Seonjo illok,” supplemented with the account of events from 1584 to 1590. “Sinmyo ilgi” was written in 1591, and it focuses on the affairs of the state.

The Diary of Gwon Mun-hae is a relatively detailed account of a nobleman’s everyday life during the 16th century in Korea. The manuscript also records Gwon Mun-hae’s experiences in the line of official duty, which gives valuable insight into the function of Joseon government officials and their public life as well as the politics, national defense, society, education, culture, and geography of that time in a wider perspective.

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