[Joseonggwan's Global Humanities Journey] 'Jikji (直指)' and French Envoy Collin de Plancy

The world's oldest metal movable type printed book, Jikji Simche Yojeol (直指心體要節, Jikji), has been revealed to the public for the first time in 50 years. This took place at the exhibition "Printing! Gutenberg's Europe," held by the Biblioth?que nationale de France (BNF) in Paris, France, from the 11th (local time) until July 16.

The actual lower volume of Jikji, revealed by the French National Library (BnF) on the 11th (local time), one day before the opening of the exhibition "Print! Gutenberg's Europe."
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Paris, France, is home to many world-renowned museums. The Louvre Museum, the Radio Museum, the Arab Museum, the Wine Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Guimet Museum, the Armenian Museum... Among these, the place that captured my curiosity the most after the Louvre was the Guimet Museum (Mus?e Guimet).

I first learned about the Guimet Museum almost 30 years ago while reading a book about Joseon in the late 19th century. At a time when imperialist powers were crashing like triangular waves, Joseon was like a leaky sailboat.

The pioneers who struggled desperately to save that pitiful Joseon caught my attention, especially the main figures of the 1884 Gapsin Coup. After their brief three-day reign, they desperately walked their own paths of survival.

Hong Yeong-sik, who suffered not only the destruction of his family but also posthumous mutilation; Seo Jae-pil, who became a medical scientist in the United States and pursued enlightenment movements dreaming of a free independent nation; and Kim Ok-gyun, who died by an assassin's blade while hiding in Shanghai and whose head was displayed at Yanghwajin. No matter how much I think about the barbarity King Gojong inflicted on Kim Ok-gyun's body, it sends chills down my spine.

Overview of the Guimet Museum in Paris, France. Photo by Wikipedia

Among these, the figure who particularly piqued my curiosity was Hong Jong-woo (洪鍾宇, 1850?1913). Hong Jong-woo, who was ordered by King Gojong to find and assassinate Kim Ok-gyun in Shanghai, was a French-educated scholar. He was the first Korean to live in Paris.

I was puzzled. No, I could not understand. How could someone who experienced the imperialist power of France brutally assassinate Kim Ok-gyun, who wished to modernize Joseon and build a proper nation? How could an intellectual who saw and felt advanced civilization fall into the hands of reactionaries and kill reformists? What exactly did he see and learn in Paris, France?

He, who was very interested in Western culture, arrived in Paris in 1890 after saving money working as a typesetter at a Japanese newspaper. In 1892, when the Bartha expedition's collected items were transferred to the Guimet Museum, he was hired as a research assistant there. As a temporary staff member, he classified the collections and created artifact cards in French and Korean.

A few years ago, while passing through a square in Paris's 16th arrondissement, I happened to walk past the Guimet Museum. I stopped and stared at the main entrance for a long time. "I have to go in there..." Although I was in a hurry, I could not easily move on. "Should I go in or not..." Since my schedule did not align, I had no choice but to promise myself to come back another time and turned away.

The Guimet Museum is a museum of Asian art. It was founded in 1879 by ?mile Guimet, a French entrepreneur and traveler. The Guimet Museum is regarded as the world's best museum for the three countries of Korea, Japan, and China.

Victor Collin de Plancy in 1900. Photo by Wikipedia

There is a figure who decisively contributed to the Guimet Museum's reputation: Victor Collin de Plancy (1853?1924), a diplomat and collector. He lived a lifelong bachelor and served as a diplomat for 30 years of his 71-year life. Having studied Chinese at the Oriental Language School in Paris, he was hired as a trainee interpreter at the French Embassy in Beijing upon graduation in 1877.

He set foot in China at the age of 24, obtained official consul qualifications six years later, and became the second-class consul at the French Embassy in Beijing. After serving as the French consul in Shanghai, he arrived in Joseon in 1886. He stayed in Joseon and played a role in establishing diplomatic relations between Joseon and France.

His third posting was Japan. After serving as consul in Tokyo for 10 years, he was appointed as the resident French consul in Joseon in 1896. He worked there for 10 years until 1906, serving as charg? d'affaires and later as French minister. During his decade in Joseon, he was highly regarded for significantly contributing to the promotion of French national interests through his innate diligence and sociability. During his tenure as minister, he negotiated with the Joseon government to acquire the rights to build the Gyeongui Line railway and mining concessions.

At that time, the French legation was located on Jeongdong-gil, where the current Changdeok Girls' Middle School stands. Jeongdong-gil in Seoul was a diplomatic street where Western powers concentrated their embassies and legations. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and Germany were all clustered on Jeongdong-gil. Joseon referred to France as "Beopguk" (法國). Every autumn, the French legation hosted a chrysanthemum flower party in its garden.

What we should pay attention to regarding Collin de Plancy is his eye as a collector. Interested in bibliography, he published a three-volume Bibliography of Joseon as a diplomat. It is important to remember that he was the first foreigner to recognize the historical value of Jikji when he purchased it at a high price from a Korean in Hansung. But he did not stop there. He exhibited Jikji at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle, introducing the world's greatest metal movable type book to the world.

The 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle was the first world's fair in which Joseon participated. King Gojong took part in the Paris Exposition upon the French minister's recommendation. Collin de Plancy set up a traditional Korean house at the exposition and showcased traditional crafts and documents. Among these documents was Jikji, described as the oldest existing metal movable type printed book. He also accurately recorded the significance of Jikji in his Bibliography of Joseon.

After retiring as a diplomat, he passed away in France in 1924. His collections were acquired by antique dealer Henri Vever. Vever sorted the collections and donated the documents to the Biblioth?que nationale de France and the artworks to the Guimet Museum.

Article on 'Jikji' published as the front-page headline of the Chosun Ilbo on May 28, 1972. Photo by Chosun Ilbo capture

The 1972 Exclusive Report by the Chosun Ilbo

The existence of the oldest metal movable type book, Jikji, was revealed to the world by the May 28, 1972, edition of the Chosun Ilbo. The headline read, "Goryeo Metal Movable Type Book Jikji Simgyeong Recognized as the World's First." It was a world scoop by Shin Yong-seok, the Chosun Ilbo's Paris correspondent.

Shin Yong-seok, who was assigned to Paris in 1969, frequently visited the Biblioth?que nationale de France located inside the Louvre Museum and became acquainted with Marie-Rose Seguy, the librarian in charge of Asian books. At that time, Park Byeong-seon (1928?2011), who was assisting as a part-time librarian, was also there.

One day in May 1972, Shin heard from Seguy that they were planning to exhibit Korean documents, including Jikji, found in the stacks for the special exhibition "History of Books." Fluent in French, Shin began his investigation and became the protagonist of the scoop announcing the existence of the world's oldest metal movable type book, Jikji.

The headline stated that it preceded Gutenberg's invention of metal movable type by 75 years. The Biblioth?que nationale de France also exhibited Jikji at the 1973 "Treasures of the East" exhibition. Thanks to these two exhibitions, all documents, textbooks, and encyclopedias worldwide recorded that Jikji is the oldest metal movable type book. Jikji was registered as a UNESCO Memory of the World in 2001.

Exterior view of the National Library of France (BnF). Photo by Seonggwan Cho

Jikji is an abbreviation of Buljo Jikji Simche Yojeol (佛祖直指心體要節). It is a book printed in 1377, the 3rd year of King U of Goryeo, at the Jujaso (type casting office) of Heungdeoksa Temple in Cheongju. Although two volumes, upper and lower, were printed, the upper volume has been lost, and only the lower volume is preserved at the Biblioth?que nationale de France. A handwritten note at the back states that the book was printed with metal movable type.

Shin Yong-seok, chairman of the Incheon Metropolitan Museum's operating committee, said in a phone interview:

"I was merely a correspondent who happened to scoop the story while visiting the National Library. The remarkable thing is the person who recognized the value of Jikji and purchased it for Korea. The fact that Jikji has been preserved at the Biblioth?que nationale de France reveals the cultural level of France."

Imagine when the collector Collin de Plancy first encountered Jikji. The minister, who could read and speak Chinese (Hanja), must have skimmed through the book and understood its content. Then he decided to purchase it at the seller's asking price. He must have known Gutenberg (c. 1406?1468). Otherwise, it would have been difficult to decide to buy it at a high price out of his own pocket.

Thinking of the lost upper volume of Jikji, one cannot help but respect the minister's insight. Like people, works of art only shine when they meet someone who recognizes their value.