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A Bibliographic Analysis of the Nationwide Gazetteer Yŏjidosŏ in the Reign of King Yŏngjo - The Production Process and Characteristics of a Gazetteer Made by the Central Government in the late Chosŏn Dynasty -

Jeong, Daeyoung 1

1서울대학교 규장각한국학연구원

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study is a bibliographic analysis of Yŏjidosŏ(輿地圖書), a nationwide gazetteer comprising 55 volumes, which is considered to have been produced between 1757 and 1761, during the reign of King Yŏngjo. The central Chosŏn government produced a vast number of nationwide gazetteers, especially during from the later years of the reigns of King Sukchong (1674-1720) to King Kojong (1863-1907). These volumes, which have been scattered to various institutions, are essential for the study of the Chosŏn era. However, to date, a detailed list of local gazetteers has not been built, and it thus remains difficult to discuss why and how local gazetteers were produced. This paper examines the bibliographical features and production processes of Yŏjidosŏ, which scholars consider a turning point in the centralization of nationwide gazetteer production. This study confirms the following facts: 1. Yŏjidosŏ is considered to be from the collection of Sŏ Myŏngŭng (徐命膺, 1716-1787), but further research on the process of its introduction is required. 2. A comparison of the information in the book reveals distinct differences between provinces, especially regarding Kyŏngsang province. 3. Historical records allow to discover conflicts between the central government and local power and between local power themselves in the production of local gazetteers, Yŏjidosŏ reflects these characteristics. 4. Unlike in the production of Tonggukyŏjisŭngnam(東國輿地勝覽), the most famous nationwide gazetteer produced in the early Chosŏn Dynasty, the government conducted a series of projects to gather national statistical data before producing nationwide gazetteers in the late Chosŏn, especially during the reign of King Yŏngjo. It is therefore necessary for scholars to understand the processes underlying the production of gazetteers along with changes in the tax system.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.