A publication ceremony for "Reprimands and Admonitions," the expanded English edition of "Jingbirok," Ryu Seong-ryong's chronicle of the 1592-1598 Japanese invasions of Korea, was held on the 16th at the Korea Press Center in Seoul's Jung District.
"Jingbirok" is the record left by Ryu Seong-ryong, who served as chief state councilor and managed the war effort during the invasions, reflecting on the causes and course of the conflict and the court's missteps as a warning to later generations. The title comes from a passage in the Book of Songs meaning "to chastise past deeds and guard against future troubles." It stands as a leading account of wartime Joseon and has been designated a National Treasure.
The ceremony was organized by Ryu Jin, chairman of Poongsan Group (103140.KS) and chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, who is a 13th-generation descendant of Ryu Seong-ryong. He invited scholars and journalists from Korea and abroad.
The expanded edition, published earlier this year by the Institute of East Asian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, extensively revises and supplements "The Book of Corrections," the 2002 English translation by Choi Byong-hyon, professor emeritus at Honam University. It includes a new translation of "Nokhu Japgi," the source material Ryu Seong-ryong drew on in writing "Jingbirok," along with greatly expanded annotations and a chronology of the work and a biographical timeline of Ryu Seong-ryong, neither of which appeared in the first edition.
Before publication, the edition was taken up as a roundtable topic at the annual conference of the Association for Asian Studies in Vancouver, Canada, in March, introducing it to international scholars. In April, the Institute of East Asian Studies at UC Berkeley held a launch event at the campus alumni house, where researchers in Korean, Chinese, Japanese and East Asian history examined the significance of "Jingbirok" as a classic for understanding war, diplomacy and memory in East Asia.