With the publication of the 3rd revised and expanded edition
Introduction
Preliminary knowledge for reading the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty

Annals of King Taejo, the first king

1.
Yi Seong-gye before the founding of Joseon
The emergence of Yi Seong-gye/Yi Seong-gye's activities

2.
The founding of Joseon through a revolution
Yi Seong-gye's faction seized power through the Wihwado Retreat/The end of the Goryeo Dynasty

3.
Yi Seong-gye as the founder of Joseon

4.
Taejo Yi Seong-gye's family
Queen Sindeok of the Han clan/Queen Sindeok of the Kang clan/Grand Prince Jinan of the Bangu clan/Grand Prince Ikan of the Bangui clan/Grand Prince Hoean of the Banggan clan/Grand Prince Muan of the Bangbeon clan/Grand Prince Uian of the Bangseok clan

5.
Yi Seong-gye's father and siblings
Hwanjo Lee Ja-chun/Princess Jeonghwa/Lee Won-gye/Lee Hwa

6.
Background on deciding to name the country 'Joseon'

7.
Hanyang, the new capital

8.
People who led the founding of Joseon
Revolutionaries dreaming of a new dynasty/Jeong Do-jeon, a man of great courage who put his revolutionary theory into practice/Muhak, who led a general to become a king

9.
Economic policies of the Taejo era
Establishment of the Land Law and the Establishment of the Land System/Development of Commercial Organization and Markets

10.
Population trends and changes in status structure


Annals of King Jeongjong, the 2nd King of Joseon

1.
The appointment of Prince Bangseok as Crown Prince and the opposition of the princes

2.
First Prince's Rebellion

3.
Jeongjong's ascension and abdication

4.
Jeongjong's family
Queen Jeongan of the Kim clan


Annals of King Taejong, the 3rd King

1.
The Second Prince's Rebellion and Bangwon's Establishment as Crown Prince

2.
Taejong's ascension to the throne and Joseon's reforms

3.
Taejong's family
Queen Won-gyeong of the Min clan/Grand Prince Yangnyeong/Grand Prince Hyoryeong

4.
Major events during the reign of King Taejong
The Investigative Rebellion/The Death of the Min Mu-gu Brothers/The Enactment of the Six-Order System/The Development of the Turtle Ship and the Establishment of the Sinmungo Archive/The Relocation of the Capital to Hanyang

5.
Oppressive Buddhist policies and the decline of Buddhism

6.
Currency reform and people's resistance


The Annals of King Sejong, the 4th King of Joseon

1.
Yangnyeong is dethroned and Chungnyeong is appointed crown prince.

2.
King Sejong's royal politics and Joseon's cinema

3.
Sejong's family
Queen Soheon Sim/Grand Prince Anpyeong/Grand Prince Imyeong/Grand Prince Gwangpyeong/Grand Prince Geumseong/Grand Prince Pyeongwon/Grand Prince Yeong-eung

4.
Joseon's scientific revolution through the development of astronomy

5.
A Revolution in Linguistics: The Creation of Hunminjeongeum
Who Created Hunminjeongeum? / When Did the Writing System Be Created? / Why Did King Sejong Want a New Writing System? / A Revolution in Linguistics

6.
People who made the Sejong era shine
Hwang Hui and Maeng Sa-seong, the greatest ministers of all time; Jang Yeong-sil, the champion of the scientific revolution; Park Yeon, the musical genius; Jeong Cho, the author of "Nongsa Jikseol"; Lee Jong-mu, who conquered Tsushima Island; and Kim Jong-seo, who pioneered the Yukjin (Yukjin) system.


Annals of King Munjong, the 5th King of Kings

1.
30 years as crown prince and 8 years as regent

2.
King Munjong's short reign and the decline of royal authority


Annals of King Danjong, the 6th King

1.
The ill-fated prince Hong Wei

2.
The ascension of the young Danjong to the throne and the usurpation of the throne by Wang Suk

3.
Background and circumstances of the Gye-Yu Rebellion

4.
People who launched the movement to restore King Danjong to the throne


Annals of King Sejo, the 7th king

1.
Prince Suyang's overthrow of the government and usurpation of the throne

2.
Sejo's power politics and the decline of civil administration

3.
Sejo's family
Queen Jeonghui of the Yun clan/Crown Prince Uigyeong

4.
People who carried out Sejo's military rule
Suyang's Left Leader Kwon Ram/Suyang's 'Jang Ryang' Han Myeong-hoe/Sejo's 'Wei Jing' Shin Suk-ju


Annals of the 8th King Yeongjong

1.
Queen Jeonghui's regency and King Yejong's short reign

2.
King Yeongjong's family
Queen Jangsun of the Han clan/Queen Ansun of the Han clan/Grand Prince Jean

3.
The Greatest Case of King Yeongjong's Reign: The "Nam Yi Treason Case"


Annals of the 9th King Seongjong

1.
Succession to the throne through political collusion between Queen Jeonghui and Han Myeong-hoe

2.
King Seongjong's Confucian politics brought about an era of peace

3.
Seongjong's family
Queen Sohye of the Han clan/Queen Gonghye of the Han clan/Deposed Queen Yun of the Yun clan/Queen Jeonghyeon of the Yun clan

4.
The emergence of the Sarim and the balance of power in the court

5.
Kim Jong-jik, a leader of the Sarim

6.
Completion of the Gyeongguk Daejeon, the basic legal code of Joseon

7.
Compilation of active cultural books
Dongguk Yeoji Seungram/Dongguk Tonggam/Dongmunseon/Akhak Gwebeom

8.
Changes in the tax system and public law


The Diary of King Yeonsangun, the 10th King

1.
Yung, the son of the deposed queen who succeeded to the throne

2.
Yeonsangun's insane tyranny

3.
The concept and meaning of existence of Sarim

4.
King Yeonsangun's monopoly on power through two major purges
The inevitable conflict between the Sarim and the Hun clans/Muosahwa/Gapjasahwa


Annals of King Jungjong, the 11th king

1.
Dethronement of King Yeonsangun and ascension of Prince Jinseong

2.
King Jungjong's failure to reform and political chaos

3.
King Jungjong's family
Queen Dangyeong of the Shin clan/Queen Janggyeong of the Yun clan/Queen Munjeong of the Yun clan

4.
The resurgence of the new scholar-officials and Jo Gwang-jo's reformist politics

5.
The retreat of the Sarim due to the Gyeomyo Incident

6.
People who influenced the Jungjong era
Seo Gyeong-deok, the great scholar in the forest, and Hwang Jin-i, the female poet ahead of her time


The 12th Annals of the Joseon Dynasty

1.
The short reign of the race


Annals of the 13th King Myeongjong

1.
King Myeongjong of Tears and Endless Chaos

2.
Myeongjong's family
Queen Insun Sim/Crown Prince Sunhoe

3.
Major events during the reign of King Myeongjong
Eulsa Massacre/Yangjae Station Wall Plaque Incident/Im Kkeok-jeong's Rebellion/Eulmyo Japanese Incident

4.
People who led the Myeongjong era
Yi Eon-jeok, a pioneer of Neo-Confucianism, and Yi Hwang, a great figure in Joseon's Neo-Confucianism


Annals of the 14th King Seonjo

1.
The era of civil servant ancestors and factional politics

2.
ancestral family
Prince Deokheung Lee Cho/Queen Uiin of the Park clan/Queen Inmok of the Kim clan/Prince Yeongchang/Prince Imhae/Prince Shinsung/Prince Jeongwon

3.
The division of the Sarim and the development of factional politics

4.
The Imjin War and the changes in Joseon society
Situation before the outbreak of the war/Outbreak and course of the war/Imjin War's impact on the Three Kingdoms

5.
Heroes of Troubled Times
Yi Sun-sin, the flower that bloomed in times of chaos / Kwak Jae-woo, the legend of the red clothes

6.
Scholars of the Joseon Dynasty
The great humanist Yulgok Yi I/the immortal poet Songgang Jeong Cheol


Diary of King Gwanghaegun, the 15th king

1.
The throne brought by war

2.
The bold, realistic politics of King Gwanghaegun, a pragmatist

3.
The family's miserable end and Gwanghaegun's exile

4.
The elimination of King Gwanghaegun's political enemies and the rise of the Northern faction

5.
A flower of culture blooming in an era of transformation
The ill-fated revolutionary Heo Gyun and the immortal hero Hong Gil-dong / The Eastern "composer" Heo Jun and the Donguibogam


Annals of King Injo, the 16th king

1.
Neungyanggun, who drove out Gwanghaegun through a coup

2.
King Injo, the King of Humiliation and Endless Suffering

3.
Injo's family
Queen Inyeol of the Han clan/Queen Jangnyeol of the Jo clan/Crown Prince Sohyeon/Grand Prince Inpyeong

4.
The upheaval of the Injo era
Yi Gwal's 'Three Days of Heaven'/Byeongja Horan/Byeongja Horan

5.
The birth of the only Buddhist scripture of the late Joseon Dynasty, Sangpyeong Tongbo


Annals of the 17th King Hyojong

1.
The death of Prince Sohyeon and the appointment of Prince Bongrim as Crown Prince

2.
King Hyojong's Northern Expedition Policy and Joseon's Stability


Annals of King Hyeonjong, the 18th king

1.
Peace during the reign of King Hyeonjong and the political strife between the Westerners and the Southerners

2.
The development of the song


Annals of the 19th King Sukjong

1.
King Sukjong's return to the country and the stability of royal authority

2.
King Sukjong's family
Queen Ingyeong of the Kim clan/Queen Inhyeon of the Min clan/Queen Inwon of the Kim clan/Concubine Hui of the Jang clan/Concubine Suk of the Choi clan

3.
The establishment of the Noron and Soron factions

4.
The Three Bok Brothers and Hongsu's Change

5.
Political scandal continues after the return of the country
Gyeongsin Hwan-guk/Gisa Hwan-guk/Gapsul Hwan-guk and the Jade of Innocent People

6.
Jang Gil-san, the legendary thief who was never caught

7.
The Five Household Laws and Rural Society


Annals of the 20th King Gyeongjong

1.
The ill-fated King Gyeongjong and the intensifying factional strife between the Noron and Soron factions

2.
King Gyeongjong's family
Queen Danui of the Sim clan/Queen Seonui of the Eo clan


Annals of King Yeongjo, the 21st king

1.
Prince Yeoning's long and arduous path to the throne

2.
King Yeongjo's Tangpyeongjeongguk and the changes in Joseon society

3.
Yeongjo's family
Queen Jeongseong of the Seo clan/Queen Jeongsun of the Kim clan/Crown Prince Hyojang/Crown Prince Jangheon/Bin Hye of the Hong clan

4.
Lee In-jwa's Rebellion

5.
Pioneers of Silhak
An Jeong-bok, the father of history, and Hong Dae-yong, who opened a new era

6.
The rise of the seorul class and the Tongcheong movement


Annals of King Jeongjo (22nd King Jeongjo)

1.
King Jeongjo's cultural politics and the flourishing of Silhak

2.
Jeongjo's family
Queen Hyowi of the Kim clan

3.
People who dreamed of a new era through Silhak
Park Ji-won, the master of the Northern Learning School/Jeong Yak-yong, the pinnacle of Silhak/Park Je-ga, the scholar who dreamed of a new world

4.
The movement to elevate the status of slaves and changes in policy


Annals of King Sunjo, the 23rd King of Joseon

1.
King Sunjo's ascension to the throne and Queen Jeongsun's regency

2.
Sunjo's family
Queen Sunwon Kim/Crown Prince Hyomyeong

3.
The Byeokpa's seizure of power through the persecution of Catholics

4.
The establishment of the Andong Kim clan's powerful regime

5.
Hong Gyeong-rae's rebellion, which denied the Joseon Dynasty and the Sedo regime


Annals of the 24th King Heonjong

1.
Heonjong's accession to the throne and Joseon's overall crisis

2.
Heonjong's family
Queen Sinjeong of the Jo clan/Queen Hyohyeon of the Kim clan/Queen Hyojeong of the Hong clan


Annals of King Cheoljong, the 25th king

1.
Won Beom, the governor of Ganghwa Island who went from being a farmer to an emperor

2.
King Cheoljong's personal rule under the Sedo regime

3.
Cheoljong's family
Queen Cheorin Kim

4.
The Andong Kim clan's 60-year reign

5.
Disruption of the three governments and outbreak of civil unrest

6.
The birth of Donghak


Annals of the 26th King Gojong

1.
King Gojong, the suffering king, and the fall of the Joseon Dynasty

2.
Gojong's family
Heungseon Daewongun Lee Ha-eung/Empress Myeongseong Min/King Yeong Lee Eun/King Ui Lee Gang

3.
The Unfallen Green Bean Flower, Jeon Bong-jun and the Donghak Peasant Revolution

4.
The growth of the citizen class and the activities of the Independence Association


Annals of the 27th King Sunjong

1.
Emperor Sunjong, the last emperor, faced with the reality of a ruined nation

2.
The family of obedience
Empress Sunjeonghyo of the Yun clan

supplement

1.
Government agencies of the Joseon Dynasty

2.
Internal and external registers

3.
Finding People in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty

Joseon, the country that has maintained its stability for the longest period in history!
What was the driving force behind Joseon's 500-year history?

Joseon, the longest-lasting single dynasty in history! What was the driving force behind Joseon's 500-year existence, producing 27 kings while countless other nations rose and fell? The secret lies in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, a forbidden record that even kings were forbidden to divulge.
From political debates that shook the nation to major and minor incidents that occurred among the people, everything from the Joseon Dynasty is recorded in a massive collection of over 2,000 volumes.
As we look into the 500-year history of the Joseon Dynasty, we will discover clues that can help us wisely navigate this chaotic era.


Surpassing 300 printings! The most authoritative popular history book on Joseon... Captivating 2 million readers!
"A Proper Reading of Joseon History," the best-selling history book

First published in 1996, 『Reading the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty in One Volume』 is a book that compiles 『The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty』, a proud cultural heritage and the most authentic historical record, into one volume.
From King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, to the last king, Sunjong, who had no choice but to watch the reality of the country's downfall, the story of the 27 kings who led the Joseon Dynasty for 500 years, as well as the prominent figures of the time and major events unfolds clearly.

It sold an astonishing 350,000 copies in its first year of publication, and has gone through over 300 printings over the past 20 years, selling over 2 million copies, solidifying its position as the best-selling history book.
The power of content, which is sophisticated, contextual, and free from bias, has allowed it to maintain reader support for such a long period of time.
The objectivity of the content was enhanced by basing it on various original sources, including the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, the royal genealogy, Seonwonrok, and the historical book Yeonrye Silgisul, and it was one of the first popular books to highlight Gwanghaegun's pragmatic diplomacy and his aspects as a reformist monarch.
"The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty," which began with the ambition to make it possible for even those who did not major in history to access proper history without burden, has become a "living classic" among popular history books. With the 2017 fully revised edition, a new history is beginning again.


Solid research, a more elaborate 500-year history of the Joseon Dynasty
Easy and fun "preliminary knowledge" included!

The recently published 2017 fully revised edition of 『The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty in One Volume』 has been further improved by reflecting the opinions of 2 million readers who read the previous edition, supplementing any shortcomings and enhancing its completeness.
To help readers who may find this book somewhat difficult to understand, we have added easy and fun “preliminary knowledge” and significantly supplemented the contents of “Sukjong Sillok.”

In "Preliminary Knowledge," the questions that countless readers have posed about the country called "Joseon" and the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty are organized into 17 categories and clear answers are provided.
Starting with fundamental questions like, “What kind of book is the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty?”, the book mainly covers content related to the king, such as the difference between “Jo” and “Jong” in temple names, the process through which the throne was inherited, and what the king’s actual daily routine and private life were like.
In the Annals of King Sukjong, the story of the Sambok brothers and the flood incident, which dealt with scandals between the king's relatives and court ladies, and the story of Sukbin Choi, the biological mother of the 21st king, King Yeongjo, and a rival of Lady Jang Hui-bin, were added to provide a coherent narrative.
By meticulously delving into incidents that were almost buried as mere provocative scandals, it vividly portrays the fierce political battle between the Easterners and Westerners in the late Joseon Dynasty.
In addition, we meticulously edited the parts of the old version that were inaccurate or had ambiguous expressions, and reflected readers' opinions that the tight spacing between letters and lines made it difficult to read, so we edited it again neatly to improve readability.
The 2017 fully revised edition of 『The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty in One Volume』, now dressed in a more luxurious design, will provide satisfaction to both existing and new readers.