Taesil where Korean royal placentas are preserved

▲ Director Kim Deuk-hwan

Taesil is the place where placentas of royal family were kept. Placentas of commoners were either buried or burned to ash to be scattered on the river. But the royal’s were kept in a jar to be placed in a designated place nationwide as they believed that royal placentas affect fate of the kingdom. One of these Taesils is Seosamleung Taesil where royal tombs of Queen Janggyeong, Queen Inseong, King Cheoljong and Queen Cheorin were within. 

From a simple visit to passion
Kim Deuk-hwan, the director of the Seosamleung Taesil Research Institute, is the 7th generation of his family who has been living in Goyang City. One day in 2006, he paid a visit to Seosamleung and this increased his interest in the story involved with the royal tombs. 

The Japanese colonial empire in 1928 dug up a total of 54 jars of royal placentas and moved to the westernized burial site in Seosamleung in a gesture of perished Joseon Dynasty and of discouraging the spirit of people. Knowing the story, Kim gathered related documents to study for the next 12 years and released a book <Taesil; the World Cultural Heritage of Joseon> in 2016. After two years in December 2018, the book 2 was published.

January last year, placenta jars of 18 kings of Joseon were found in Seosamleung Taesil and Kim succeeded its recovering. In March the same year, Kim organized ‘Seosamleung Taesil Solace’ and ‘Royal Placenta Jars Exhibition’ in order to spread its existence to the people.

Government support is needed
“Taesil has not yet been listed in the UNESCO but it certainly is worth for it. What it needs to make it happen is government’s proactive support” says Kim. 

In fact, Kim has spent his own money for research on Taesil without any support from public institutions. 

“I just feel rewarded that I’m the one who has carried on the research on this for many years and also feel proud to have recovered the placenta jars of 18 kings found in Seosamleung Taesil.” 

November last year, Kim secured a book In North Gyeongsang Province that has a record of Taesil. Much encouraged by this, he is now pushing forward his plan to recover the Taesils in Seosamleung to their original places alongside the UNESCO listing. 

As a side plan, he is working on Taesil souvenirs such as birthstones and seals by suing the images on Taesil jars in order to raise public interest.