This paper will conduct a bibliographic study of the First Cast Gapinja-Type edition of Hyangsansamchebeop by reviewing in the order of its compilation and publication, its bibliographic characteristics, its composition and content, and a comparison of the First Cast Kapinja-Type edition printed around the 10th year of King Jungjong's reign(1515) with the reprint copy in Japan's Hosa Archives(蓬左文庫) which was made in the 20th year of King Myeongjong's reign(1563).
Hyangsansamchebeop is the only First Cast Gapinja-Type edition available in or outside the country. The copy owned by Hosa Archives in Japan has an epilogue written by Anpyeongdaegun Yi Yong(李瑢) in the 27th year of King Sejong(1445) as well as an epilogue by Kim Deok-Yong(金德龍) written in the 20th year of King Myeongjong's reign(1565). In this research, the previous theory that this book had been printed in 1565, based on the emphasis on the epilogue by Kim Deok-Yong, was corrected, and the possibilities for further research could open.
This book supports the existing theory that some of Gapinja-Type were supplementarily cast in the 10th year of King Jungjong's reign(1515). In this book, used were the First Cast Gapinja-Types created around the 27th year of King Sejong's reign(1445). Due to long use, the strokes of many characters are slender and arched, and some are slanted in the middle. In contrast, the supplementary types of the book have a consistent thickness and size. The beginning of the letters and their strokes are smooth and orderly. Wooden supplementary types tend to have inconsistent thickness and size. Even the same letters have different shapes, and with rough carvings, incisions look clear when magnified. Since the reprint copy made in the 20th year of King Myeongjong's reign(1563) exhibits the same letters as the wooden supplement types, it is certainly the reprint of the one made in the 10th year of King Jungjong's reign(1515).
A comparison with the reprint copy of Hosa Archives in Japan shows that it was not published at the same time as the original. A few characteristic differences can be spotted, such as how the strokes are made and how different letters are used for similar meanings in some cases. In particular, some of the letters with different meanings were proofread, corrected, and then reprinted. The results of this study will contribute to the most fundamental research in bibliography, typology-related fields, and Korean classics.