Gyeongguk daejeon

The Gyeongguk daejeon, whose name translates as the State Code or the National Code, is a code of law comprising the laws, customs and decrees of Korea from the late Goryeo to early Joseon periods, and organized by government ministry, it served as a foundation for Joseon-dynasty governance for more than five hundred years. It succeeded an earlier code, the Gyeongje yukjeon, the Six Codes of Governance, and that code's revised edition, the Sok yukjeon, the Amended Six Codes of Governance, both issued under the dynasty's founder, King Taejo. The Gyeongguk daejeon was commissioned in 1458 by King Sejo, and the compilation of the entire text was completed in 1467, though repeated revisions and supplements delayed its final publication. A first revision began under King Seongjong in 1471, called the Sinmyo daejeon, followed by a further revision in 1474 known as the Gabo daejeon, and a third version, the Eulsa daejeon, released in 1485, was registered as the final version. The edition that survives today is a reprint from 1613, preserved at the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies.