Seungjeongwon Ilgi (Diaries of the Royal Secretariat)

Also called: Journal of the Royal Secretariat

The daily journal of the Royal Secretariat, which handled royal orders — among the largest single historical records in the world.

The Seungjeongwon was the king’s secretariat, passing on royal commands and presenting officials’ reports. Its journal recorded each day: the king’s schedule and orders, his conversations with officials, the documents received, even the weather. It was a basic source when the Veritable Records were compiled.

It was kept from the start of Joseon, but the early volumes burned in the Imjin War and the Yi Gwal rebellion; 3,243 volumes survive, covering 288 years from 1623 to 1910 — a primary source far more detailed than the Veritable Records. It is a National Treasure held at the Kyujanggak of Seoul National University, and became UNESCO Memory of the World in 2001.