(국영문 동시배포) 국립고궁박물관, 이달(10월)의 추천 유물로 ‘강서 시권’ 소개

문화재청 국립고궁박물관(관장 김인규)은 ‘강서 시권’을 10월의 ‘큐레이터 추천 왕실 유물’로 정해 4일부터 국립고궁박물관 2층 상설전시장 ‘조선의 국왕’ 전시실에서 공개하고, 문화재청과 국립고궁박물관 유튜브를 통해 온라인 영상으로도 선보인다.
* 문화재청 유튜브: https://www.youtube.com/chluvu
* 국립고궁박물관 유튜브: https://www.youtube.com/gogungmuseum

<강서 시권>은 과거시험 과정 중 구술시험으로 치른 문제와 결과를 표기한 시험지다. 구술 시험은 문과, 무과, 잡과 시험 등 과거시험에서 꼭 거쳐야 하는 과정이었지만 그 사실이 널리 알려져 있지 않았다. 이 시험지는 구술시험 중에서도 주요 유교 경전 7개에서 각각 구절을 뽑아 외우고 그 의미를 해석하는 칠서강(七書講)을 담고 있다.
* 칠서강: 삼경(주역, 서전, 시전)과 사서(논어, 맹자, 중용, 대학)를 대상으로 치르는 구술시험

시험지에는 각 경전의 제목이 도장으로 찍혀 있고 그 아래에 문제와 시험 성적, 시험관의 서명이 차례로 되어 있으며, 오른쪽에는 접힌 자국과 근봉(謹封) 도장이 남아 있다. 접힌 공간에 응시자의 신상정보를 적은 뒤 끈으로 묶어 봉하고, 시험을 볼 때는 실명 대신 천자문으로 부여한 자호(字號)를 불러 부정행위를 방지하였다. 이처럼 시험지에 남아있는 흔적을 바탕으로 공평하게 인재를 등용하고자 했던 조선 왕실의 노력을 읽을 수 있다.
* 근봉: 삼가 봉한다는 뜻으로, 봉투를 봉하고 나서 표지에 쓰는 말
* 자호: 천자문의 차례에 따라 매긴 번호

<강서 시권>과 더불어 국립고궁박물관 상설전시실에서는 조선후기 문신인 신현이 작성하고 임금(순조)이 직접 검토한 답안지인 <신현 시권>도 같이 관람할 수 있다. 또한 적극행정의 일환으로 박물관을 직접 방문하지 않아도 국민 누구나 볼 수 있도록 국립고궁박물관 누리집(gogung.go.kr)과 문화재청․국립고궁박물관 유튜브에서 국·영문 자막과 함께 해설영상으로 공개한다.

The National Palace Museum of Korea (Director: Kim In Kyu), an affiliate of the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, has selected “Oral Examination Paper” as its “Curator’s Choice from the Royal Treasures” for the month of October. It will be displayed in the Kings of the Joseon Dynasty gallery located on the second floor of the museum. It will also be presented online in a YouTube broadcast on the channels of the Cultural Heritage Administration and the National Palace Museum of Korea starting October 4.
* National Palace Museum of Korea YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/gogungmuseum
* Cultural Heritage Administration YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/chluvu

The item being introduced is a graded test paper from the oral portion of the state-administered civil service examination. It is not widely known that there was also an oral component in the state examination. However, an oral test was mandatory in the literary, military, and miscellaneous examinations. The presented test paper was part of an oral exam known as a chilseogang that tested candidates on their memorization of passages from seven major Confucian texts and their ability to interpret their meanings.
*Chilseogang (七書講): Oral exam testing candidates on the three major classical Confucian scriptures –Zhouyi (Book of Changes), Shuzhuan (Commentaries on the Book of Documents), Shizhuan (Classic of Poetry)–, and four books –Lunyu (The Analects), Mengzi (Mencius), Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), and Daxue (Great Learning).

The test paper is stamped in its upper portion with the titles of the texts, and below them are written the questions, scores, and signatures of the examiners. On its right side it shows traces of where it was folded and impressed with a stamp reading “謹封”(geunbong). The personal information of the candidate was written inside the folded area, which was subsequently sealed and tied with a string to hide the written content. When the exam was being carried out, the test taker was referred to by a jaho rather than his given name in order to prevent bias or cheating. The traces that remain on the test paper demonstrate the efforts by the Joseon royal court to fairly recruit talented people.
* Geunbong: Meaning “respectfully sealed,” this word was written on the front of an envelope after it was sealed
* Jaho: An assigned number based on the Thousand Character Classic

The National Palace Museum of Korea houses a wide range of items related to the state examinations held during the Joseon Dynasty. In particular, the Answer Sheet by SinHyeon is on display in the Kings of the Joseon Dynasty gallery together with the Oral Examination Paper. Moreover, as part of the museum’s efforts for proactive administration, this month’s Curator’s Choice will be presented virtually through a video with Korean and English subtitles on the museum’s website (gogung.go.kr) and on the YouTube channels of the museum and the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea so that it can be enjoyed by everyone, even without visiting the gallery.
* Answer Sheet by Sin Hyeon: This is a test paper that was written by Shin Hyeon, a civil official of the late Joseon Dynasty, in the seventh year of the reign of King Sunjo. It was reviewed by the king himself.