The New Wooden Tablet No. 1(Sin-1-ho) from Wolseong Moat : An Interpretation of Su(受), Swaegong(煞功), and A-il(衙日)

The purpose of this paper is to identify the true nature of the New Wooden Tablet No. 1 (Sin-1-ho, 신1호) excavated from the Wolseong Moat. The findings of this study are summarized as follows. First, Pi(彼), A(衙), and Jeon(田) in the first line of Side A were newly deciphered. Additionally, characters that were previously subject to debate among researchers were confirmed as Il(日), Wol (越), and Chong(葱). These findings led to the identification of the term A-il(衙日) and the place name Chongjeon(葱田). Second, the term A-il(衙日) on the wooden tablet represents the first documented instance confirming that the A-il system—in which civil and military officials had an audience with the king (Johyeon, 朝見) to report on the state affairs—was implemented in Silla. Furthermore, it demonstrates that Gong(功), and Swaegong(煞功) were state-level undertakings deliberated and decided by the king and his officials. Third, the character Su(受) is interpreted to mean as “to be assigned a task,” while Swaegong(煞功) is understood as “the work (Gong, 功) that has been comprehensively aggregated (Chongwal, 總括).” The location of Sansan(䔉山) is identified as present-day Wonsan in South Hamgyong Province, while Chongjeon(葱田) is located between Jangjin County in South Hamgyong Province and Kanggye County in South Pyongan Province. Finally, the New Wooden Tablet No. 1 provides evidence that after King Jinheung of Silla secured the territories in present-day Hamgyong Province in the mid-6th century, Silla continued to consolidate its control over this region throughout the subsequent period.