Jomunguk Museum in Uiseong Receives Additional Donation of 82 Ancient Books and Documents
from the Haengjeong Kwon Sik Family of the Andong Kwon Clan
The documentary heritage of distinguished noble families, which has long supported the intellectual history of Uiseong, has once again returned to its hometown.
On November 19, Uiseong County (Governor Kim Jusoo) announced that it had received an additional donation of 82 ancient books and documents from the family of Haengjeong Kwon Sik (Hangjeong Kwon Sik) of the Andong Kwon clan on the previous day.
This is the second large-scale donation following the first batch of 1,252 items in August, bringing the total number of family materials held by the Jomunguk Museum in Uiseong County to 1,334.
Curator Choi Kang-guk and researchers at Jomunguk Museum in Uiseong County are checking the quantity and contents of ancient documents and manuscripts donated. Photo by Kwon Byung-gun
The newly donated artifacts to the museum consist of 81 ancient books and documents dating from the late Joseon Dynasty to the Japanese colonial period. These are rare materials that the family has carefully preserved for hundreds of years.
The collection includes numerous scholarly works, such as the collected writings of Jarakdang Kwon Sugyeong, Mencius with Zhu Xi’s commentary, Dang-eum, Munseon, and the Andong Kwon Clan Literary Records, all of which reflect profound academic depth.
Ancient documents such as appointment letters and personal correspondence vividly convey the lifestyles, bureaucratic systems, and private exchanges of the time, and are highly valued for their historical and bibliographic significance.
The donor, the Haengjeong Kwon Sik family, expressed, "We feel great pride in being able to permanently preserve our family's documentary heritage, passed down through generations, at our hometown museum. We hope this will contribute, even in a small way, to local historical research and the education of future generations."
Kim Jusoo, Governor of Uiseong County, stated, "We are deeply grateful for the donation of these precious records, which have been cherished by the family with such care. Through expert analysis, we will thoroughly examine the intrinsic meaning of these materials and actively utilize them as resources for exhibitions, education, and research, establishing them as a key foundation for restoring the region’s cultural history."
Haengjeong Kwon Sik (1423-1485) was the progenitor of the Andong Kwon clan’s Bujeonggong branch in Uiseong during the early Joseon Dynasty, and is remembered for his integrity and scholarly virtue.
Jarakdang Kwon Sugyeong (1584-1659), who forms the core of the donated materials, was a civil official in the late Joseon period and a militia leader who defended Uiseong during the Jeongmyo and Byeongja invasions. Along with his father, Unam Kwon Huisun, he is remembered as part of the "father-and-son militia."
Additionally, Sawagong Kwon Dujung (1678-1731) served as Jeongjejang of Uiseong and is regarded as a paragon of scholarly virtue, having compiled the Yeongmorok by uniting the family’s collective will.
This additional donation goes beyond simple collection of materials; it serves to reaffirm the spiritual foundations of scholarship, loyalty, and culture that shaped Sachon-ri. The Jomunguk Museum in Uiseong County has further solidified its status as a key institution for the collection of regional historical materials and is expected to play a pivotal role in future research on local identity and the development of academic and educational content.
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