Doubts about the Edition of the 〈Samguk yusa〉

Journal Title: International Journal of Korean History - Year 2009, Vol 13, Issue 1

Abstract

The <Samguk yusa (Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea)> compiled by the Koryŏ era Buddhist monk Ilyŏn (1206- 1289) is widely regarded as a classic in which the history and culture of ancient Korea are vividly recorded. However, the <Samguk yusa> was up until the Chosŏn era evaluated as a heretic work filled with untruths and nonsense, and the reliability of its records was denied. As the majority of its stories were based on Buddhism, it was only natural that the <Samguk yusa> was heavily criticized by the Confucian scholars of Chosŏn. However, Yi Nŭnghwa’s active use of its pages as historical materials with which to study Buddhism during the early 20th century, and Ch΄oe Namsŏn’s subsequent high evaluation of its historical value, resulted in the <Samguk yusa> becoming widely recognized after the liberation of the nation in 1945 as one of the two great sources, the other being the <Samguk sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms)> written by Kim Pusik, in terms of the study of the ancient Korean history.

Authors and Affiliations

Daejae Park

Keywords

Related Articles

Divergent Perspectives:The U.S.-South Korean Disagreement over the Northern Limit Line in the mid-1970s

two allies’ divergent perceptions toward security issues. In contrast to the more global lens U.S. policymakers have adopted in viewing events on the Korean Peninsula, South Korean leaders have traditionally viewed these...

Empire of the Dharma: Korean and Japanese Buddhism, 1877–1912. Hwansoo Ilmee Kim, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012, xxvi

At first glance, it seems improbable that a comparative study of early twentieth-century engagement between Korean and Japanese Buddhist orders could tell us much about larger issues regarding Japanese colonialism in Kor...

The Dual Kingship and State Management during the Early period of the Reign of King Sejong

The decision by the third king of the Chosŏn dynasty, King T´aejong, to abdicate after 18 years on the throne paved the way for his own son Sejong to assume the throne. While King Sejong, in his capacity as the 4th ki...

Financial Management and Fishery & Salt Policy in Late Chosŏn : Focusing on the Regulations of the Equalized Tax Law for Maritime Taxes

The Regulations of the Equal-Service Law of 1750 for maritime taxes, finalized in the revision of the fishery-salt tax, did not make an active move for the financial expansion of state revenue. Because of the state’s emp...

The Korean National Defense Student Defense Corps and the Manufacturing of Warrior-type Students in Its Incipient Days

Before and after the official inauguration of the Republic of Korea (ROK), not a few South Korean students opposed the polity, resisting it even at the cost of their lives. They vehemently inveighed against the polity fo...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP26343
  • DOI -
  • Views 417
  • Downloads 20

How To Cite

Daejae Park (2009). Doubts about the Edition of the 〈Samguk yusa〉. International Journal of Korean History, 13(1), -. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-26343