Veritable Records of Taejo

The Veritable Records of King Gangheon Taejo (太祖康獻大王實錄) is a record of the history from the first year of Taejo of Joseon (1392) to the seventh year of Taejo (1398), and is part of the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty. It is written in the annalistic format.

Compilation

In the eighth year of Taejong (1408), Taejo died, and on August 28, 1409, Taejong ordered officials of the Chunchugwan to compile the Veritable Records of Taejo. At that time, Song Po (宋褒) and other recording officials (記事官) of the Chunchugwan submitted a memorial requesting that the compilation be withdrawn, arguing that there was no precedent for contemporaries compiling records of their own era and that it could invite doubt from later generations. Taejong refuted this by pointing out that the Chunqiu was also a record of its own time. Over the following week, the Ministry of Rites and others raised the issue, but Taejong did not permit its withdrawal. The work was then completed in March 1413 in a total of 15 volumes. Later, on the grounds that the records of the Veritable Records were cumbersome and contained many duplicate entries, it was revised again starting in September of the 20th year of Sejong (1438), and was completed in September 1442. Afterward, in the 30th year of Sejong (1448), Jeong In-ji supplemented it, and in the first year of Munjong (1451) it was slightly revised, and it has been transmitted to the present day.

Content

In addition to the records of Taejo's reign, the Veritable Records of Taejo also records his genealogy, a brief history of the late Goryeo period, and Taejo's activities. The part written in the annalistic format covers the period after July 17, 1392, when Taejo founded Joseon. Afterward, on September 5, 1398, he abdicated the throne to Jeongjong, but the records before the first year of Jeongjong (1399) were included in the Veritable Records of Taejo.