Martial Arts Technique Manual for Imjin War Response to Become a National Treasure

The oldest martial arts manual in Korea, 'Muyejebo,' is set to be designated as a National Treasure. On the 29th, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced the preliminary designation of 'Muyejebo,' 'Daeseung Gisinnonso Volume 2,' 'First Printed Edition of Abhidharma Vibhasa Volume 175,' 'Gangjin Muwisa Exemption Document,' 'Gangneung Bohyeonsa Wooden Seated Manjusri Bodhisattva Statue,' 'Ulsan Sinheungsa Stone Seated Amitabha Buddha Statue,' and 'Seoul Heungcheonsa Vairocana Buddha Three-Body Hanging Scroll' as treasures. Opinions from various sectors will be collected for a month, and the final designation will be confirmed after review by the Cultural Heritage Committee.

'Muyejebo' is a martial arts technical manual compiled by the scholar-official Han Gyo (1556?1627) in the 31st year of King Seonjo of Joseon (1598) under royal command. At that time, due to the Japanese invasions of Imjin (1592) and Jeongyu (1597), there was an urgent need for military training manuals. Han Gyo referred to the tactics of the Ming army and wrote about the manufacturing methods and training techniques for weapons (club, shield, nangseon spear, long spear, trident, long sword). To make it easy for soldiers to understand, he included illustrations along with explanations in Hangul. The first edition copies are held at the French School of Oriental Languages and the Hwaseong Museum in Suwon. The document preliminarily designated this time is the latter, recognized for its rarity and historical value. The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "'Muyejebo' greatly influenced later Joseon martial arts manuals such as 'Muyejebo Beonyeoksokjip' (1610) and 'Muyedobotongji' (1790). As a valuable resource for the study of Korean martial arts history, it needs to be designated as a treasure for research and preservation."

'Daeseung Gisinnonso Volume 2,' housed at Yongmunsa Temple in Daegu, is a woodblock-printed Buddhist scripture consisting of thirty-three sheets (Volume 2) produced by the Ganjeongdogam (Office for Printing Buddhist Scriptures) in the 7th year of King Sejo of Joseon (1461). The original text, 'Daeseung Gisinnonso,' was written by the Indian monk Mamyang. The content translated into Classical Chinese by Jinje of the Liang Dynasty (499?569) was annotated and authored by the Tang Dynasty monk Beopjang (643?712). In Korea, it was studied as part of the curriculum at specialized Buddhist academies alongside the 'Diamond Sutra,' 'Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment,' and 'Surangama Sutra.' The Cultural Heritage Administration described it as "an important resource to examine the annotation content and publication aspects of Joseon's 'Daeseung Gisinnonso,' with significant Buddhist and bibliographic value."

'First Printed Edition of Abhidharma Vibhasa Volume 175' is part of the early Goryeo Tripitaka completed in the 11th century. It is presumed to have been printed from the early Goryeo Tripitaka woodblocks that were burned during the Mongol invasion in the 19th year of King Gojong of Goryeo (1232). 'Abhidharma Vibhasa' is a commentary on the 'Abhidharma Prakara?a.' It elaborates on the theories of the Sarv?stiv?da school (a branch of Therav?da Buddhism) and criticizes doctrines deviating from the orthodox path of other sects. Later, it was recognized as a treatise systematizing Abhidharma theory. The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "It holds high historical and cultural value as a primary source for understanding the nature of the early Tripitaka woodblock creation project, the circulation of scriptures, and as a fundamental resource for woodblock restoration."

'Gangjin Muwisa Exemption Document' is an official royal decree issued by King Sejo of Joseon exempting Muwisa Temple in Gangjin from miscellaneous labor duties. Around this period, Joseon issued decrees exempting or reducing miscellaneous labor duties for major temples. Similar exemption documents such as 'Yechon Yongmunsa Exemption Document,' 'Neungsung Ssangbongsa Exemption Document,' and 'Cheonan Gwangdeoksa Exemption Document' have already been designated as treasures. The Cultural Heritage Administration noted, "This early Joseon official document clearly preserves King Sejo's royal signature (Eoap) and the royal seal 'Simyeongjibo,' making it important for the study of royal document formats in early Joseon." They added, "It also provides insight into King Sejo's temple policies and perceptions."

'Gangneung Bohyeonsa Wooden Seated Manjusri Bodhisattva Statue' is estimated to have been created from the late Goryeo to early Joseon period. According to the restoration record found in the abdominal container (Bokjang) of the statue, sculptors Seokjun and Won-o restored it in 1599 along with the Manjusri Child Statue of Sangwonsa Temple in Pyeongchang. Although the Bohyeonsa Bodhisattva statue and the Sangwonsa Manjusri Child Statue differ significantly in form, the fact that they were restored together in 1599 suggests similar backgrounds in terms of the temples' nature, monk lineages, and patrons. The Manjusri Bodhisattva statue wears a long robe (tonggyeon) covering both shoulders and leans slightly forward. It has an ornate crown and jewelry on its head. The slender face, deeply carved eyebrow ridges, swollen eyelids, and high, prominent nose give it a clear and exotic impression. The full neck and chest, along with the slender, long hands, convey a sense of volume. The natural technique of the robe flowing over the entire body stands out. The Cultural Heritage Administration said, "The facial features, body proportions, and detailed expressions exhibit sculptural characteristics of the late Goryeo to early Joseon period," adding, "It greatly aids research on Buddhist statues from this period, of which few extant works remain."

'Ulsan Sinheungsa Stone Seated Amitabha Buddha Statue' refers to the principal image among the Amitabha Triad enshrined in the main hall of Sinheungsa Temple. It was carved from a type of steatite (a kind of talc stone) by the sculptor Yeongsaek in the 17th century. The Cultural Heritage Administration added, "Yeongsaek became a master sculptor and created this statue following the Buddha statues at Hoamsa Temple in Yangju." The dedicatory inscription records that the stone was quarried in 1649 from Eocheon (Ocheon-eup, Pohang) and transported by boat to Sinheungsa Temple. The Amitabha Buddha statue is seated in the lotus position with a slightly bowed head and a short neck. The upper body is short, but the legs are spread wide with high knees, conveying a sense of weight in the lower body. The relatively broad face, long eyebrows, small prominent nose, and upward-tilted eyes give it a gentle yet distinctive impression.

'Seoul Heungcheonsa Vairocana Buddha Three-Body Hanging Scroll' is a royal commissioned Buddhist painting created in the 32nd year of King Sunjo of Joseon (1832) by seventeen painters including the master painter Hwadam Sinseon (Hwatan Sinseon). Hwadam Sinseon was a figure who inherited the painting styles of Seoul and Gyeonggi painters such as Sanggyeom, Mingwan, and Yeonheung, who led the Yongjusa Temple paintings in 1790. He is regarded as a representative of the 19th-century 'Gyeongseong Painting School.' A notable feature of this work is its iconography: the Buddha and disciples (Kasyapa and Ananda), and attendants (Manjusri and Samantabhadra) are arranged in the upper, middle, and lower sections. The Cultural Heritage Administration explained, "It greatly influenced the iconography of Vairocana Buddha triads in Seoul and Gyeonggi from the late 19th to early 20th centuries." They added, "The harmonious and dignified expression of the Buddha, precise and solid brushwork, vivid and bright coloring, and delicate patterns combine to demonstrate an elegant painting style."

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