Korea is well known to the world with its long history and splendid culture and one of its national cultural heritages is "Muyedobotongji" (the Illustrated Book of Martial Art), a kind of military book of feudal Joson dynasty explaining the Joson traditional martial arts which prides itself for superiority
Chairman Kim Jong Il said.
"The resourcefulness and history of a nation is handed down to posterity through its cultural artifacts. Historical sites and relics are objective reminders of what kind of culture our ancestors created, how they lived and how they developed."
(“Kim Jong Il’s Selected Works” vol. 1, p. 31)
Joson national old book “Muyedobotongji” was inscribed on the Memory of the World Regional Register for Asia / Pacific on the 19th, May. 2016.
In the 7th General Meeting of UNESCO MOWCAP(Asia Pacific Regional Committee for Memory of World) held in Hue, Vietnam from May 18th to 20th 2016, the decision was made on the inscription of our national classic “Muyedobotongji” on the Memory of the World Regional Register for Asia and. Pacific.
Following the UNESCO Memory of World International Advisory Committee (IAC) meeting in Paris, France from Oct 24th to 27th 2017, the 39th General Conference of UNESCO was held from Oct 30th to Nov 14th , when the decision was made on the inscription of our national classic “Muyedobotongji” on the Memory of World International Register.
Taekwon-do, the Joson martial arts of empty-handed self-defence which is widely introduced to the world, was originated from the traditional martial arts that had been created and developed by Josons themselves.
Joson traditional martial arts were created during the period of Kojoson, the first ancient country founded in the early 30th century B.C by Tangun.
Koguryo dynasty (277B.C~A.D.668) was the strongest country in the middle Joson history which encouraged traditional martial arts like horse riding and archery inherited from the olden times.
The Joson martial arts gave some influence on the development of neighbouring countries’ with its long history and superiority.
Muyedobotongji, printed on April, 1790, is a comprehensive martial arts book that explains, with respective illustrations, the Korean feudal dynasty martial arts which became the origin of Taekwon-do, the international martial arts of today.
It's name “Muyedobotongji” means a manual of martial arts with illustrations. The books were compiled by the order of King Jongjo (1777-1800), the 22nd King of feudal Joson dynasty and were also prefaced by him.
They explain various kinds of military arts such as fencing, spearmanship, cudgelling, horse riding and boxing with respective illustrations.
Most of the fighting methods in the books are based on the Joson traditional martial arts but they are also combined with Chinese and Japanese which constitutes the basis of the East Asian martial arts.
The books have significance in studying the Joson traditional martial arts, the root of Taekwon-do but also East Asian martial arts which is proud of its superiority as the cradle of martial arts in the world.
The nominated item, printed on April, 1790, is a kind of military book of feudal Joson dynasty.
The books were designated as a national treasure when they were first printed in 1790 since it was compiled by the order of the King who personally prefaced it.
This wood block printed book has 4 volumes altogether where comprehensive martial arts movements such as fencing, boxing, spearmanship and cudgelling are described.
It has clear illustrations of every movement of not only Joson traditional martial arts but also those of neighbouring countries.
It was compiled by combining the two former military books, “Muyejebo” and “Mugisinsik”. The “Muyejebo” had been written in 1598 by Han Gyo, a military officer of Hunlyon Dokam (Royal military Training Agency) who compiled the book into 6 fighting systems. His book was revised into “Mugisinsik” published in 1759 by supplementing 12 additional fighting methods. Fighting skills on horse were added to those two former books to form a comprehensive martial arts book and it was called “Muyedobotongji”.
At first, only limited copies were printed in Gyosoguan, the national publishing house at that time and they were kept in a very few places: one in Gyujanggak, the central library; some in national and local archives like Manisan Archive, the national archive at that time (where national secret records like the feudal Joson Dynasty were kept), and the rest were sent to the local military camps.
In 1908, the Japanese who took over Korea as a colony inhibited all militarism among Josons such as martial arts competitions, while trying to remove all documents and records related to traditional military. They took a copy of “Muyedobotongji” to their mainland and tried to remove other copies remaining in Korea.
The nominated item preserved in the Grand People’s Study House is the one donated by a person who is thought to be a son of a man who worked for the royal library or one of military camps.
He seems to live in Sonchon County, North Phyongan Province. He sent the books to the state library (at that time) in 1952 just after the government’s appeal to look for and preserve national cultural heritages.
