Kim Jin-young (64), residing in Osu-myeon, Imsil-gun, Jeonbuk, has donated the oldest original copy of the Unsuj i (雲水志) Eulmyo edition (1675), one of the privately compiled local gazetteers of Imsil-hyeon from the Joseon Dynasty, to Imsil-gun.
According to the county on the 5th, the donor, who retired honorably from the Imsil-gun public office in 2015 and has been exploring the history and culture of Imsil, acquired the Unsuj i last July and has now donated it to Imsil-gun.
Jin-Young Kim, residing in Osu-myeon, Imsil-gun, donated the first edition of Unsuj(雲水志) Eulmyo edition (1675) to Imsil-gun. [Photo by Imsil-gun]
The Unsuj i is the oldest among the privately compiled local gazetteers of Imsil-hyeon from the Joseon Dynasty, compiled in 1675, 1730, and 1904.
The 1904 edition of the Unsuj i included a preface by Shin Gye-jing, the county magistrate, and several parts of the preface suggested that older editions had been consulted, leading to speculation that such copies must exist somewhere.
The Unsuj i was compiled in 1675 by Shin Gye-jing, the magistrate of Imsil-hyeon, together with local residents Han Pil-sang and Lee Si-yeon. It contains 32 sections, 96 pages, and approximately 48,000 characters.
It includes the origin and changes of the alias of Imsil-hyeon, Uns u (雲水), the implementation of the 17th-century myeon-ri system, evaluations of successive magistrates of Imsil-hyeon, efforts to promote customs and education included in various biographical sections, the difficult conditions of Imsil-hyeon after the Imjin War and the Manchu invasions, episodes of local figures, and numerous stories related to the mountains and rivers, making it a comprehensive resource that vividly depicts Imsil-hyeon in the 17th century.
In particular, along with the 1730 Unsuj i discovered in December 2017 and the 1798 handwritten Unsuj i donated in October 2023, it is expected to provide insights into the changes in Imsil-hyeon during the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Eulmyo edition of the Unsuj i is the second oldest privately compiled local gazetteer in Jeollanam-do and Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province from the Joseon Dynasty, following the Suncheonbu Eupji Seungpyeongji (1618), and is the oldest among the 14 cities and counties of Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province.
Along with other 17th-century Jeolla-do local gazetteers such as Seungpyeongji (1618) and Yongseongji (1699), it is considered to have high academic value for comparative studies on the characteristics of 17th-century Jeolla-do privately compiled local gazetteers.
County Governor Shim Min said, “We will strive to preserve the Unsuj i and have it designated as a cultural heritage of Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province. We will also make every effort, both materially and spiritually, to discover unique local content essential for the era of ten million tourists in Imsil so that many people can share it.”
Imsil = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park No-sik baekok@asiae.co.kr
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