Goryeosa

The Goryeosa (Korean: 고려사; Hanja: 高麗史), or History of Goryeo, is the main surviving historical record of Korea's Goryeo dynasty. Its compilation was started during the reign of Taejo (first king of Joseon) as a justification for the regime change.[1] As such, it presents the view that the king should be a faithful and wise servant of the state: he should be good; should accept the advice of his subjects; and maintain good diplomatic relations. "broadly speaking, it can be said to be a view of Confucianism".[1]

Goryeosa

Author	Jeong In-ji, Kim Jong-seo, and others
Original title	高麗史
Country	Joseon
Language	Classical Chinese
Subject	History of Korea
Genre	Ancient history
Publication date	1451

It was composed nearly a century after the fall of Goryeo, during the reign of King Sejong. It is written using Hanja script and consists of 139 volumes, 46 of which consist of chronicles, 39 of geography, 2 of Chronological tables, 50 of Biographies, and 2 of lists.[1]

in 1395 (Taejo 4), Jeong Do-jeon and Jeong-chong compiled a 37-volume Goryeo State History, which was a major secondary source for the Goryeosa.[1]

Sejong ordered a committee of scholars led by Kim Jongseo and Jeong In-ji to compile it, based on primary and secondary sources that are no longer extant.[2][3] It was revised multiple times between 1392 and 1451.

Its final form apparently includes almost all of the materials that were available which were recorded apparently without omission.[1] For example, Jeong Mong-ju (鄭夢周) and Kim Jin-yang (金震陽), both of who, in opposing Yi Seong-gye, were loyal to Goryeo[4] were recorded as loyal subjects.[1] However, since the work promotes Neo-Confucianism as the ruling ideology, Taoists and Buddhists were intentionally omitted.[1]

It was first published in 1454 (Danjong 2) and was widely distributed, but this version does not exist.[1] The version which remains is a copy printed in 1455, in Eulhae characters.[1] This document has been digitized by the National Institute of Korean History. It is available online in its original hanja and also in a modern hangul translation.[5]