HAEUNDAE-gu

This royal edict was issued by the founder of Joseon, King Taejo, to Jo Sung on March 7, 1396, the 5th year of his reign. It is printed on high-quality paper containing six lines written in cursive script, bearing the royal seal with the characters <朝鮮王寶> above the date. Other than his clan (Pungyang), not much is known about Jo Sung. However, considering that the royal edict has him acting as a cabinet minister, a governor of a region, and at the same time a special mission in military organization in a period of upheaval following the change of regime, it can be surmised that Jo Sung was quite an important figure in that period. The document has considerable historical value as evidence of early Joseon’s administrative and official systems and as an article demonstrating the changes in the use of the royal seal. Along with the document “Red Certificate of Passing the Military Service Examination Issued to Jo Seo-gyeong” (Treasure No. 954), which was issued to Jo Sung’s grandson, this document was in the possession of director Jo Sung-wook of Haeundae Hospital before its inclusion in the collection at the National Museum of Korea.