Study on the Significance of 『Ungoksisa(耘谷詩史)』 as a Real Record

The purpose of this study is to examine Ungok(耘谷) Won Cheon-Seok(元天錫)’s poetry collection 『Ungoksisa(耘谷詩史)』 as a record of the realistic life of a local intellectual living during the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods. 『Ungoksisa』 is a valuable source that documents the political and social transition from late Goryeo to early Joseon from the perspective of a regional intellectual. At a time when central authority was unstable and the continuity of official historical records was disrupted, Won Cheon-seok meticulously recorded the realities he personally witnessed and experienced in poetic form. His poems vividly depict the instability of social institutions, including the turmoil surrounding dynastic change, wars and famines, social unrest caused by land concentration, and disorder in the taxation system. In this respect, 『Ungoksisa』 is not merely a literary collection but also a body of experiential records that convey the social conditions of an era. Won Cheon-seok came from a family in the Wonju region that had served for generations in local official positions, particularly as Hojang(local administrative heads). While maintaining a certain distance from central politics, he nonetheless stood at the center of historical change. His poems reflect an intellectual’s perspective that accurately recognized and critically evaluated major national events, such as the deposition of Kings Woo and Chang and the execution of General Choe Yeong. These works provide important insights into how local intellectuals perceived and understood national turmoil. Moreover, 『Ungoksisa』 vividly captures realities absent from official histories, including the daily lives of the hyangri class, the hardships faced by farmers, and problems arising from land concentration. Ultimately, 『Ungoksisa』 holds significant value as a literary and historical source that reveals the human and regional dimensions of life omitted from central records, enabling a reconstruction of the political transition from Goryeo to Joseon from the viewpoint of a local intellectual.