The Questions and their Answers: A New Look into the Korean State Examination System is an illustrated catalog based on Sigwon-Listening to the Wisdom of the State Management (2015). It provides a revisionist view of the state examination system (Kr. gwageo or Ch. keju), a long East Asian tradition that has often criticized as an outdated relic of the past. Our catalog provides a revisionist view of what the examination system meant to Korea. We do so by narrowing the focus to the answer sheets of the examination, the sigwons, as seen in the sources. Topic covered included an overview of the history of the civil service exam in Korea, aspect of the everyday lives of people involved in this system, and detailed analysis (including translations) of the questions and answers asked in civil service examination. In addition to the stunning visual sources, our work will provide new perspectives in understanding one of the longest traditions in Korean history.

Jangseogak Archives of The Academy of Korean Studies

Royal Archives and Library