North Korea Land and Property

Land Survey Records (Toji Gumsa Kirok)
Research Use: Land survey records are useful for identifying members of the lower classes by name and place. Generational linkage is possible through property transfer records.

Record Type: Survey reports for various categories of royal, government, public, and private landholding, title deeds, land transfers and records of tenancy.

Time Period: 1680 to 1910.

Background: Although land ownership is usually associated with the nobility, a great many commoners, especially farmers, also owned land. These land survey records are arranged by locality.

Contents: Names and relationships of owners and tenants, location and description of property; some give names of cultivators, monks, and slaves; may also give the age of the property owner and name of his father.

Location: Kyujanggak collection, Seoul National University Library.

Population Coverage: 15% or more; the actual coverage was much higher but many of the records have been lost.

Reliability: Excellent.

Preservation of Record/Vulnerability: Most of the original records have been lost or destroyed. The remaining records are maintained under good conditions in the Seoul National University Library but are still subject to loss by fire or natural disasters.