Yonsei University Research Team Releases Late Joseon Dynasty Climate Data

Utilization of Seungjeongwon Ilgi and Ilseongnok Records

Yonsei University announced on the 8th that a research team led by Professor Hong Jin-gyu of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences restored precipitation measurements and meteorological data recorded in the Seungjeongwon Ilgi and Ilseongnok.

Climate data from the late Joseon Dynasty restored by a research team at Yonsei University. [Image source=Yonsei University]

Attempts to restore precipitation data recorded during the Joseon Dynasty have been ongoing in Korea, but it was pointed out that there is a high possibility of errors occurring during the process of interpreting records written in Chinese characters. Additionally, there were many periods without precipitation data, limiting the understanding of late Joseon Dynasty climate characteristics.

To minimize errors and missing data issues, the research team chose to extract data from digitized versions of the Seungjeongwon Ilgi and Ilseongnok. They applied a data quality analysis technique that utilized the consistency of meteorological information extracted from the two documents. Through this, they succeeded in producing data without missing periods and statistically more meaningful information.

The restored precipitation data contains records of droughts and floods that affected the great famine and diseases in the late Joseon Dynasty, holding significant academic value. In particular, it includes precipitation data spanning 130 years from 1778, which can be used to understand climate characteristics before global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions occurred.

Dr. Lee Jae-won, the first author of the study, said, "The restored data will play an important role in promoting related research while showcasing the scientific capabilities of our ancestors to the world." He added, "We will continue to carry out such data restoration efforts in the future."