Compilation of the Samguk sagi

Overview

The Samguk sagi (三國史記) is a history of the three kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, compiled mainly by Kim Busik (1075–1151) under the order of King Injong of Goryeo. The "Sega" section of the Goryeosa records that on the day imsul (the 22nd) of the twelfth month of the 23rd year of Injong (1145), Kim Busik presented the Samguksa he had written. Converted to the solar calendar, this day corresponds to February 4, 1146. It is a gijeon-style history in 50 volumes, consisting of 28 volumes of basic annals (bonggi), 9 volumes of treatises (ji), 3 volumes of tables (pyo), and 10 volumes of biographies (yeoljeon). It is the oldest extant history of Korea.

Background of Compilation

More than 200 years after the founding of Goryeo, the aristocratic culture of the powerful families reached its peak and the dynasty became stable, which increased the need to organize the history of earlier periods. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture cites as background the national confidence after the expulsion of the Khitan, the heightened sense of national consciousness due to the threat of the Jurchen, and the intense conflicts among the aristocracy, such as Yi Chagyeom's Rebellion and Myocheong's Western Capital Movement. It is said that the work carried the intention of leaving a lesson that division and conflict ruin a state.

In his "Memorial Presenting the Samguk sagi" (進三國史記表), Kim Busik stated three motives for the compilation:

1. Even the learned class of our country does not understand our history well, and Chinese histories record our history too briefly, so it must be written in detail.
2. The transmitted Gogi (古記) is poor in content and rough in style, so it must be written anew.
3. He wishes to distinguish the right and wrong of rulers, ministers, and people and to use them as lessons for later generations.

Compilers and Sources

Under the direction of Kim Busik, eight reference compilers—Choe Sanbo, Yi On-mun, Heo Hongjae, Seo Anjeong, Park Donggye, Yi Hwangjung, Choe Woobo, and Kim Yeong-on—and two compilers of the gugu (관구) rank—Kim Chunghyo and Jeong Seupmyeong—took part, so that with Kim Busik, eleven people compiled the work. Kim Busik appears to have personally taken charge of the "Memorial Presenting the Samguk sagi," the introductions to each section, the critical commentaries (nonchan, saron), the selection of historical materials, and the evaluation of figures.

The sources consulted included domestic texts such as the Gogi, the Samhan gogi, the , the , Kim Daemun's (Goseungjeon), (Hwarang segi), and (Gyerim japjeon), and Choe Chiwon's (Jewang yeondaeryeok); as well as Chinese texts such as the (Samguozhi), the (Houhanshu), the (Jinshu), the (Weishu), the (Xin Tangshu) and the (Jiu Tangshu), and the .