Joseon Wangjo Sillok is a chronological record in 1,717 volumes of the history of the Joseon Dynasty from the reign of King Taejo, the founder and first king of the dynasty, to that of King Cheoljong, the twenty-fifth king (1392 – 1863/472 years). To protect them from disaster, separate copies of the annals were kept at five different archives across the country, including Chunchugwan Hall in Seoul, an archive at Jeongjoksan Mountain on Ganghwado Island, one at Taebaeksan Mountain in Bonghwa, one at Odaesan Mountain in Pyeongchang, and one at Jeoksangsan Mountain in Muju.
It has been claimed that the copies kept at Jeoksangsan Mountain, Muju were taken away to North Korea during the Korean War, but no further details about the matter are known. The copies currently recognized as those originally kept at Jeoksangsan Mountain comprise four volumes, including three at the Jangseogak library, Academy of Korean Studies, and one at the National Museum of Korea. The latter, purchased in 2005, is Vol. 55-58, Daily Journal of King Gwanghaegun. It contains stamp impressions indicating that it once belonged to the Royal Family YI or the archive at Jeoksangsan Mountain in Muju, and was later presented to the the Japanese Governor-General’s Office in Korea. With the discovery of this volume, it has been reconfirmed that a complete set of annals, or perhaps just a part of them, were kept at the archives at the four mountains (Jeongjoksan, Odaesan, Jeoksangsan, and Taebaeksan) in addition to the archive in Seoul..