Abstract

Korean old books unofficially printed with wood blocks by private local publishers for sale are known as Banggakbon. Majority of them encompasses popular novels for the masses and textbooks for children. In Late Joseon dynasty books printed by means of banggak (publishment without permission from government) are different from others in that they were published by local, nongovernmental publishers. Three major kinds of Korean banggakbon include ones printed in Seoul, Jeonju and Anseong. This article is on some aspects of, especially on origin of the Anseongpan‒Banggakbons (books privately printed in Anseong region). Tracing to their history the paper argues that they have their root in publishing traditional calendars. The Anseongpan‒Banggakbons were mainly produced between the late 19th C. and early 20th C. Anseong region scarcely have had publishing practices through the late Joseon dynasty but there have been some in the Goryeo and early Joseon dynasty. Referring to local documents and literature the author tries to proof the fact that publishers and printers in old Anseong have begun producing banggakbons after or simultaneously they printed calenders for sale. Printing calendars without permission from government was illegal and severely punished but, according to documents from a local historiographer, for some reasons,they have informally done it. With years of experience and a dedication to the craft, printers and engravers in old Anseong have managed to publish banggakbons to provide them to the neighboring towns. The time and circumstances in which calendars and banggakbons were produced in Anseong region are main researches of the paper.