The Annals of King T\'aejo. Founder of Korea\'s Choson Dynasty - Byonghyon Choi

Translator’s Introduction xxv

of a Grand Historian, because the style and form dictated by its defined aim
is clearly manifest in the very name Sillok, or Veritable Records. According
to the “Basic Paekche Annals” of the History of Three Kingdoms (Samguk
Sagi), Koreans who built the royal palaces made sure that their palaces
should look plain but not shabby, and magnificent but not extravagant. One
finds that this aesthetic vision or principle runs through the diverse Korean
monuments and artifacts as well as paintings and literature. The Annals of
King T’aejo in its style and substance exemplifies that vision.