Korea Completes the Tripitaka Koreana

During the thirteenth century, the Korean kingdom of Goryeo faced catastrophic invasions by the Mongol Empire. After the court evacuated the mainland to establish a wartime redoubt on Ganghwa Island, the military regime led by Ch'oe U confronted not only territorial devastation but also the loss of sacred cultural foundations. In 1232, invading forces burned the monastery housing the realm's first imperial Buddhist canon, a set of woodblocks carved over several decades in the eleventh century. Believing that re-creating these sacred scriptures would invoke divine assistance to protect the nation from foreign conquest, King Gojong ordered the entire canon to be compiled and carved anew.

Carving commenced in 1237 under a dedicated state office known as the Daejang Dogam, backed by Ch'oe U and his son Ch'oe Hang. The undertaking brought together monastics from both the Seon and Gyo traditions along with thousands of artisans and scholars. Preparing the printing plates required an elaborate multi-year curing procedure to ensure structural resilience. According to traditional accounts, timber harvested from southern islands was submerged in sea water for three years, cut into planks, boiled in salt water, and air-dried in shaded breezes for another three years. Modern wood analyses show that cherry wood was used most often, followed by pear, birch and other hardwoods. Once carved, the plates were brushed with a lacquer finish to deter wood-boring insects and reinforced along the edges with metal framing to prevent distortion.