Abstract

Banggakbons(坊刻本) are Korean old books for sale, majority of which are made using xylographic procedure and published by private local printing masters without government permission. The tradition of their printing in the region of Anseong, one of their production base, is rooted in making and selling calendars without colophon presumably begun around the mid‒18th century. With printing of calendars and some Confucian classics being continued, publishers and printers in Gijwa‒ri, the famous paper‒making centre and printing village in Anseong region started carving popular novels with the colophon “Anseong‒Dongmun‒e‒shinpan[안셩동문이신판]”(literally, new editions by the Anseong printing house Dongmun‒e) and sold them at nearby local markets. By 1934 when the industry slid into decline the village has run at least 9 printing spots for the past 160 years or so, and has produced more 35 versions with about 25 different woodblocks most of them being old novels in Korean for people in the lower social classes including women or textbooks in Chinese for children and students. It is those old story books that have drawn attention in early studies. They were originated from the publishers Anseong, Dongmun‒e, Bukchon, and Parkseongchil, all of which were based on Gijwa‒ri in Anseong city. These books are at least 14 versions with 17 different blocks. All of them are Korean popular stories. Among them are Chunhyang‒jeon(츈향젼), Shimchung‒jeon(심쳥젼), Hongkildong‒jeon(홍길동젼), Jemamu‒jeon(졔마무젼), Jindaebang‒jeon(진대방젼), Jowoong‒jeon(됴웅젼), Yangpoongwoon‒jeon(양풍운젼), Jangpoongwoon‒jeon(쟝풍운젼), Jeokseongui‒jeon(젹성의젼), Samkugji(삼국지권지), Nimjanggun‒jeon(님쟝군젼), etc. Of several regions publishing Banggakbons, there is no other place where printed old novels in Korean with woodblock except Seoul, Jeonju and Anseong. There is no doubt that the first two other regions have taken the lead in publication of novels, but it is worthy of giving attention to existence of different versions—the Anseongpan‒Banggakbons(安城板坊刻本), i.e., those printed in Anseong region; it is for this reason that researchers take Anseongpans as an important part in comparative study over publishing tradition of the Korean Banggakbon. Although several studies have been done on the subject, our knowledge of the beginning of its tradition may be not enough at the present. The thesis aims, therefore, at adding a deeper and more concrete understanding to it through an annotation and analyzation of some documents and oral statements derived from local history. With this re‒examinaton to the early stage of printing tradition in the region, the author hopes that his research may give some clues to uncovering the controversial connection between the Anseong‒Dongmun‒e‒shinpan and printing career of Park Seongchil(朴星七: 1856‒1922), who is the key publisher in the early stage of printing tradition of Banggakbons in the region of Anseong.