Please keep in mind that translating a document is an art form and not a technical science. If you can provide a better translation or an alternate translation, please contact me.
Award documents from the Korean Empire are extremely difficult to find, not necessarily because they are rare, which they are, but because family members and collectors, would rather not let go of them. Here are some Korean Empire award documents. Even harder to find are the Korean Award documents accompanied by the Japanese “Permission to Wear” documents. These allow the Korean awards to be worn by Japanese recipients. You will notice that there is not a lot of visual difference between Korean and Japanese award documents. If you know of any other documents from this period, please let me know.
Personal Signatures (Sugeol 手決)
On some documents, you will find the personal signature 수결 (Sugeol 手決) of Emperor Kwangmu or Emperor Sunjong. Also known in China and Japan as flower-press 花押 (화압) or hand-press 決押 (결압).
Sugeol 수결 (手決) means ‘execution by hand’. Personal Signatures are also called Seoap 서압 (書押), Surye 수례 (手例), Suap 수압 (手押), and Hwaap 화압 (花押), and the king’s is also referred to as Eoap 어압 (御押).
For Emperor Kwangmu’s Personal Signature 수결 (手決), he decided to use the words ‘il sim (一心)’, which translates as ‘one heart’ and means ‘heart and soul’, ‘wholeheartedly’, ‘of one mind’. He wrote the character with ‘il’ above ‘sim’, then combined them into a single stylized character and finally rotated the combined character a full 180°. Notice that the stroke count is 5 for both “il sim” and for his signature.
Emperor Sunjong also used the words ‘il sim (一心)’, for his personal signature. The only difference is the circular flourish in the center.
Document design features
Most Korean Empire award documents have the Taeguk symbol in each of the four corners. The majority of the border is made up of Plum Flowers, in alternating styles. The Plum Flower was the Family Crest of the Yi Family, which controlled Korea. At the bottom center of many Korean Empire award documents, you will find a pair of rulers. These rulers, called Cheok 척, are a Korean unit of measure, that is approximately one foot in length (30.3 cm equaling 11.92913”). Since the time of the Silla Kingdom 신라 新羅 (57 BCE – 935 CE), the Golden Measure signified the king’s authority to rule the country. Yi Song-gye (1335-1408; reigned 1393-1398), the first king of the Yi Dynasty, knew he was destined to rule a country when he received the Golden Measure in a dream. The Golden Measure was a reaffirmation that the Yi Dynasty Kings had the Mandate of Heaven and were entitled to rule the country. Notice on the Order of Golden Measure 大勳位金尺大綬正章 (대훈위 금척대수정장) breast star below and to the right, the 4 rulers that are located at the 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock positions. The Order of the Golden Measure is often called the Order of Cheok, which is the correct Korean pronunciation of this particular measuring device. Korean Empire award documents are watermarked. Be suspicious of any document found without the watermark.
Documents for Orders issued by the Korean Empire
For more on this award see My Eight Trigrams Mystery Page
Translation of the document to the left. It is read from right to left, and top to bottom.
- To give with respect 奉
- By the grace of God, the Emperor of the Korean Empire ordered as follows: 天承運大韓國皇帝以
- In order to express my appreciation, Isao Eguchi, Captain of Battle Cruiser Ikoma and Rear Admiral of the Navy of Japan, is awarded the Second Class and granted the Medal of Eight Trigrams. 大日本國海軍大佐生駒艦長江口鱗六特敘勳二等賜八卦章表朕親愛之意
- Here is my stamp signed by myself at Changdeok Palace on June 8, 1909 隆熙三年六月八日在漢城昌德宮親署名鈴璽
- Yi Cheok 李坧 (Personal Name of Sunjong, Emperor of Korea)
- Seal of the Korean Empire 大韓 國璽 (Large square, red seal in the center of document)
- Deputy Principal of Award Record Office, Deputy First Rank, Jo Ui-yeon 表勳院總裁從一品趙義淵
- Seal of the President of the Award Records Office 表勳院總裁印 (Small square, red seal at bottom)
- Seal of the Korean Empire Prime Minister Records Office 大韓帝國表勳院印 (Small round, red Seal at the top)
- The award grant is examined and recorded as No. 129 本記及勳章勘查浚勳記勳章各簿第一二九號編入事
- Registrar of Award Record Office, Third Rank, Class IV, Jeong Dong-sik 表勳院書記官正三品勳四等鄭東植
- Seal of Registrar of Award Record Office 表勳院書記官印 (Small square, red seal at bottom-left corner)
- Made by the Korean Government Printing Office 韓國政府印刷局製造 (Fine print in the lower-left corner below the scroll work)
Document for a Commemorative Medal issued by the Korean Empire
Award documents to Korean recipients are very hard to find.
Families don’t want to let them go.
Translation to the right.
Award documents to Korean recipients are very challenging to find. Families would rather not let them go. There are no known lists of recipients for the Commemorative Medals.
This award document accompanied the Bronze 1907 Enthronement Medal. Note that the award document does not state that the medal is issued in Silver or Bronze. There are spaces for registering the award, but no registration numbers are entered. As far as I can determine, no Korean Commemorative Medal documents were issued with registration numbering. Since Chinese and Korean orders carried numbers, the lines of text for registration, may be a superfluous space carried over from an Order Document. The entire text is printed except the line containing the recipient’s name, which is entered by writing brush. The crest is in Gold and the seals are vermilion. The certificate was printed by the Korean Government Finance Department Printing Bureau. It reads as follows:
Translation:
Great Korea Commemorative Medal Certificate
Army Infantry Sub-lieutenant Yi Min-ho
Of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, Guards Infantry
Yung Hi 1st Year, 8th Month, 27th Day (Aug. 27, 1907)
By Authority of Imperial Proclamation
His Majesty the Emperor’s Enthronement Ceremony Commemorative Medal is hereby conferred
Respectively Decreed (Large size seal)
Decorations Office Judge Junior First Rank Degree Yi Sae-kee (Medium size seal)
The Medals record book volume number (blank)
Entry number (blank)
Decorations Office Secretary Senior Third Rank Fifth Degree Kim Yin-ho (Small size seal)
Japanese Award Document for the Suppression of Bandits (Korean Patriots)
Background Information:
The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905, also known as the Eulsa Treaty, Eulsa Unwilling Treaty or Japan–Korea Protectorate Treaty, was made between the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire on November 17, 1905. The treaty deprived Korea of its diplomatic sovereignty and made it a protectorate of Imperial Japan. It was a direct result of Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05.
The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907 provided that Korea should act under the guidance of a Japanese Resident General. The effect of the treaty’s provisions was that the administration of Korea’s internal affairs was turned over to the Japanese. The Korean army was disbanded on August 1, 1907, and large numbers of the former Korean Soldiers turned to partisan tactics against the Japanese. See the Wikipedia article on Righteous Armies 의병 (義兵).
The Document:
1st line
Army Infantry Sergeant, 7th Class Order, Arajiro Ogata 陸軍歩兵軍曹 勲七等 緒方荒次郎
(He was previously awarded with either a 7th Class, Order of the Sacred Treasure or a 7th Class, Order of the Rising Sun)
2nd line
Meiji 1907-1908 Hanguk (Korea) 明治四十年四十一年 韓國
3rd line
Awarded 140 yen of gold in recognition of the achievements in the campaign/affair to suppress bandits. 暴徒鎭壓事件ノ功ニ依リ金百四拾圓ヲ賜フ (There is a distinct possibility that “Bandits” is a euphemism for “Korean Patriots”.)
4th Line
Meiji Dec. 1, 1908 明治四十一年十二月一日
5th Line
The President of the Honors Bureau, Junior Second Class Court Rank, 1st Class Order, Earl Okyu Hisashi 賞勲局總裁 従二位 勲一等 伯爵大給恒 (He was previously awarded with either a 1st Class Order of the Sacred Treasure or 1st Class Order of the Rising Sun.)
NOTES:
No other records have been found for Arajiro Ogata (緒方荒次郎)
Japanese Pre WWII Award Documents.
Note the similarity of these Japanese documents to those of the Korean Empire. Even the placement of the seals is similar. Both documents are from the eMedals Website.
