Uigwe gets permanent home, at last

A gallery dedicated to the Joseon-era (1392-1910) book of rites compiling royal ceremonies and protocols, called “Uigwe,” opened at the state-run National Museum of Korea on Thursday.

The Oegyujanggak Uigwe Gallery, named after a royal library built on Ganghwa Island off the west coast in 1782 by King Jeongjo, represents NMK’s shift in focus from history to art, according to Director General Kim Jae-hong.

“Uigwe shows how our culture achieves balance through calligraphy and paintings. This gallery bridges calligraphy and the rest -- paintings, Buddhist statues and ceramics,” Kim said.

Of the 297 Uigwe books, 32 will be displayed annually at the gallery, with eight books rotating four times during the year. The books that go on view starting Friday shed light on restoring Jongmyo, the Joseon-period royal shrine, after it sustained damage during the 1636-1637 war between Joseon and the Qing Dynasty.

Also on view will be the records of the weddings of King Sukjong, the 19th king who ruled from 1674-1720.

In 1866, the French Navy, in retaliation for Joseon’s execution of French Catholic missionaries, burned down the royal library on Ganghwa Island and took some 340 books, including Uigwe books.

Following protracted negotiations beginning in 1993, Korea and France struck a deal in 2011 and 297 Uigwe books were sent to Korea on permanent loan. The National Museum of Korea has since publicly shown the books twice, in 2011 and 2023. The special viewings recorded over 300,000 visitors.

Kim Jin-sil, the curator who led the preview tour Thursday, expects the new gallery to more effectively engage the public.

“These records are all meant to realize virtuous politics at the time,” Kim said of the message she hoped to communicate. She added the museum employed the latest technologies to make the royal book of rites accessible.

Some of the Uigwe books, written in old Chinese characters, have been translated into Korean and English and presented in digital formats for guests to view.

The Young Friends of the Museum, a group of national museum supporters, provided financial support for the gallery.