[The hanging wooden plaque in Korea] which the Advanced Center for Korean Studies (ACKS) has applied for registration of Asia·Pacific Memory of the World consist of 550 items donated by 189 clans·seowons. At present, In ACKS, around 1,100 items have been preserved. Generally called, the hanging wooden boards, they are commonly used for written documents, verse couplets carved or written on a plank and the hanging wooden plaque.

All the hanging wooden plaque are called by the same name, but the purpose of the construction of the buildings can be divided into very various types. In this application form, 550 items of the hanging wooden plaque are classified into four types and cataloged. The four types of classification are as in the following.

In fact, within the four types of classification, the boundary lines can be very ambiguous according to the standards and the concepts can appear complicated.

For example, though the hanging wooden plaque of Dosan Seowon (Confucian academy) should be classified as an educational hall, ‘Sangdeoksa (Sangdeok Shrine) ‘ where teacher Toegye’s mortuary plaque was enshrined in Dosan Seowon can be a memorial hall. Mandaeru (Mandae Pavilion) in Byeongsan Seowon was used as space where virtuous scholars rested and sometimes as an educational hall, so it can fall under both educational hall and disciplinary hall.

In particular, in the case of private buildings, this classification is more difficult. The reasons are that the buildings are often repaired or reconstructed etc. in later generations due to the characteristic of wooden architectures. After repair and reconstruction, it is often the case that other usages different from the original purpose were implemented or the hanging wooden plaque were changed to other names. Accordingly, in this interpretation, the whole has been classified into four types determined by several rules. This classification is not perfect but private opinions are added to a lot. It is based on the premise that the classifications may differ according to the researcher.

Accordingly, 550 items of [the hanging wooden plaque in Korea] are classified into 231 items for educational hall, 118 items for disciplinary hall, 137 items of residential hall and 64 items for memorial hall, which is attached at the end. [appendix: Catalog of classification of the hanging wooden plaque in Korea]

It is a common characteristic that the person who wrote the calligraphic letters is not always revealed which was intentional and expresses the humility of cheapening oneself. It could also be an intention to express the seonbi (virtuous scholars)’s determination that it has not been enough work to reveal oneself yet with incomplete writings.

In other words, seonbi in the Joseon Dynasty regarded that the writings reveal moral value and the mentality of a person rather than artistic value, considering “ writings are like writers” so it means humility that it has not been a level to reveal their names yet.

For these reasons, it is common that the writer remains unknown. However, in some hanging wooden plaque, the scribe of the writings is known through the bearing a seal, and most of them are limited to calligraphers, painters, and government officials among others. The several representative figures to identify the names of the hanging wooden plaque are as in the followings.

First, Toegye Yi Hwang (1501-1570) is taken among the figures who wrote the letters on the hanging wooden plaque. He was one of the representative scholars of Confucianism in the Joseon Dynasty, and his philosophy of Juripa (school of Main Li) had a great influence on Confucianism in Japan. The letters written by Yi Hwang among of the hanging wooden plaque applied for registration are Yiyomun (Yiyo Gate) · Joyangmun (Joyang Gate)· Seolwoldang (Seolwol House) · Gosanojeong (Gosan Pavilion)· Seonmongdae (Seonmong Pavilion) · Wolcheon seodang (village school) · Seongjae (Seong House) and more.

The representative calligrapher in the mid-Joseon period, Seokbong, Han Ho’s (1543~1605) six items of writing, who was one of four famous calligraphers, have remained. The six items are Dosan Seowon (Confucian academy) ·Hwagyeongdang (Hwasgyeong House)· Manchwidang (Manchwi House) · Yangjinjae (Yangjin Hall)· Taegojeong (Taego Pavilion) ·Takcheongjeong (Takcheong Pavilion) and more. Han Ho’s calligraphic letters were received recognition from the king so he took on writing every kind of diplomatic documents.

Misu, Heo Mok’s, (1595~1682), who has left a unequaled calligraphic letter of Misu style, Chunghyodand (Chunghyo House) · Baekunjeong (Baekun Pavilion) ·Gyeongryujeong (Gyeongryu Pavilion) and more had a reputation for Heo Mok’s unique seal style. Danwon, Kim Hong-do (1745 ~unknown), who gained fame as a painter in the period of King Jeongjo, Joseon Dynasty, has left calligraphy letters of damrakjae (Damrak House) · Yigadang (Yiga House) and more. Above all, Kim Hong-do’s letters for the title of paintings have remained but most large characters have been lost so they are evaluated as more rare works.

The figures in modern times, Haesa Kim Seong-geun’s (1845~1919) calligraphic letters are outstanding. Leaving nine hanging wooden plaque, he served a government official as minister and was famous as a master of the Minamgung Style. The change of size of letters is free and also gives an atypical feeling. The letters are in Mureungjeong (Mureung Pavilion)·Susinwa (Susin Dugout)·Nulsanjae (Nulsan House)·Gwanran·Chunghyod ang(Chunghyo House)·Deokbongjeongsa (Deokbong House)·Yeongmodang (Yeongmo Hall)·Seonodang (Seono Hall)·Yeongmojae( Yeongmo House) and more.

And also, Sou, Gang Byeok-won’s (1850~1945) calligraphic letters were outstanding as they were also known abroad. He gained fame for paintings, too. His calligraphic theoretical book, Nojeongseogyeol has remained. The letters of the hanging wooden plaque of Gyeseo Gyeongjae (Gyeong House) Damsangpangak (Damsangpan Depository) Chaseoheon ( Chaseo House) and more have remained. Kim Jeong-hui (1786-1856), who gained fame for the Chusa Style and for the learning of empirical tradition, was evaluated and has left a new realm of clerical style. Maesimsa (Maesim House) and more have remained as the letters of the hanging wooden plaque. Yi Ha-eung(1820-1898), who was Kim Jeong-hui’s disciple and King Gojong’s father, has left outstanding works of calligraphic letters and literary paintings. He has left the letters of the hanging wooden plaque of Geunam (Geun Hermitage) and more.

Geukam Yi Gi-yun (1891-1971), who was famous for very standardized handwriting, has left Yusujae (Yulsu House) · Dongam (Dong Hermitage) ·Yeowa (Yeo Dugout) and more. Dongwon, Kim Hui-su’s (1760-1848), whose handwriting was free and kept to calligraphy, Doeungutaek (Doeun Historic House) · Magokseodang (Magok Village School) · Chodang (Cho House) and more are very remarkable.

Two to five connotative letters on the hanging wooden plaque reflect the world of spirit and values which Seonbi (virtuous scholars) in the Joseon Dynasty were to pursue. The contents imply filial duty, memorial for ancestors, sage worship, adoration and faith for learning, and the world of spirit of living leisurely. To the ultimate, it is another expression of very connotative humanistic spirit.

The letters on the hanging wooden plaque are only one remaining letter each. There are no forgeries or repeats of the same letters. Also, the origins and owners are distinct. The documentaries have a characteristic that cannot be replaced once damaged. The original forms produced at the time were maintained. Accordingly, if they were damaged, the representative handwriting of the period when the hanging wooden plaque were produced would disappear and the spirit of the times which they reflect would be gone.

Korea has experienced a rapid industrialization since in 1960. As agricultural land has been changed into industrial complexes, the head houses have disappeared in the neighborhood. It often happened that the whole village was submerged with the construction of huge dams. As head houses were moved or destroyed, they were not always rebuilt and disappeared forever, as a result, the hanging wooden plaque began to be damaged. The hanging wooden plaque were separated from the buildings and left decayed at the storehouses, or were stolen, so the owners looked for a way to preserve them forever. They asked ACKS to preserve the hanging wooden plaque and the present collection came to be constructed.

ACKS has established a new storage chamber for constant monitoring and control of temperature and humidity to preserve the donated hanging wooden plaque, installed wooden shelves, opened a permanent store to visitors all the time, and promoted the archival value of the hanging wooden plaque as heritage.