Short report
A Historical Review on the Oldest Documented 
Buckwheat Use in Korea
Cheol Ho PARK1 and Min Ook PARK2
1 Korea Buckwheat Research Institute (e-mail: chpark@kangwon.ac.kr) and 
2 Department of Smartfarm Agriculture & Industries, Kangwon National University (e-mail: koonim67@gmail.com),  
Korea 24341
DOI https://doi.org/10.3986/fag0031 
Received: April 26, 2023; accepted May 8, 2023. 
ABSTRACT
‘Hyangyakgugeubbang’ has been known as the oldest literature on buckwheat in Korea written in the time of King 
Gokong, old Korean dynasty. However, by ‘Genesis of Koguryo dynasty’ copied by Mr. Chang Hwa Park, it has been 
known that buckwheat has been used in Korea from Koguryo dynasty which was a former era of old Korean dynasty. 
Unfortunately, the original book of ‘Genesis of Koguryo’ has not been kept and thus historians have not approved the 
copied book as an official history book. Therefore, the oldest record on buckwheat use in Korea has not been recognized 
as the oldest book on buckwheat in Korea. So, Hyangyakgugeubbang’ is still officially the oldest book on buckwheat in 
Korea.  
Buckwheat was introduced from China to Korea in the time of King Gojong, Korean dynasty (1236~1251). In Asia, 
Korea is one of the oldest nation that buckwheat was traditionally used for food and folk medicine. ‘Hyangyakgugeub-
bang’ has been known as the oldest literature on buckwheat in Korea written in the time of King Gokong, old Korean 
dynasty. It is a widely accepted notion.
However, an another literature on buckwheat used in Korea was found, but it has not been approved as an official 
record. Based on the book titled ‘Genesis of Koguryo dynasty’ copied by Mr. Chang Hwa Park, it has been known that 
buckwheat has been used in Korea from the time of Koguryo dyanasty (B.C 37~668) which was a former era of old 
Korean dynasty (918~1392). The author of the ‘Genesis of Koguryo’ has not been known. The book was flowed out to 
Japan in the time of Japanese Empire (1910-1945) and was kept in the library of the royal family in Japan. Mr. Chang 
Hwa Park got the book from the library of Japanese royal family and copied it by hand writing and the copied book was 
transferred to Korea from Japan (Photo 1). Unfortunately, the original book of ‘Genesis of Koguryo’ has not been kept 
and thus historians have not approved the copied book as an official history document. Therefore, the oldest record on 
buckwheat use in Korea has not been recognized as the oldest book on buckwheat in Korea.
There are a few sentences on buckwheat in the Genesis of Koguryo. A record on ‘Chumogyoung (named also as 
Jumong)’ who was founder of Koguryo dynasty was described on the page 119 of the Genesis of Koguryo. A younger 
brother ‘Eulgyoung’ of queen ‘Ryu’ reported to the King Jumong that we have a lot of buckwheat but not have wheat 
23
Fagopyrum 40 (1): 23-24 (2023)
or barley. The king said that buckwheat and wheat or bar-
ley were not the same because buckwheat was warm but 
wheat or barley were cool. On five cattle, seven grains, 
three liquors, and six fruits were written on a page 220 of 
the book. Seven grains were broomcorn millet, barnyard 
grass, millet, soybean, sorghum, buckwheat, and beef-
steak plant (Perilla frutescens, family Lamiaceae). Such 
truth that there was buckwheat among the seven grains 
has a meaning that the Genesis of Koguryo was the old-
est book on buckwheat in Korea. Moreover, the period 
that the Genesis of Koguryo was edited 1,200 years ear-
lier than ‘Hyangyakgugeubbang’ that has been officially 
known as the oldest literature on buckwheat in Korea. 
However, the original book was not found elsewhere 
and copied book was not officially approved as a history 
document. So ‘Hyangyakgugeubbang’ is still the officially 
oldest book on buckwheat in Korea. 
REFERENCES
Park, Chang Hwa,  2009. Genesis of Koguryo (translated by Soung Gyeom Kim). Jisaem Publishing Co., Korea. 
Park, C.H. & Y. S. Choi, 2003. Maemil (buckwheat). University Press, Kangwon National University, Korea.
IZVLEČEK
Zgodovinski podatek o najstarejšem dokumentiranem viru o uporabi ajde v Koreji
“Hyangyakgugeubbang” je bil znan kot najstarejši pisan dokument o ajdi v Koreji, napisan je bil v času kralja Gokonga 
(1236~1251). Vendar je bilo znano, da so ajdo v Koreji uporabljali že prej, tudi v času dinastije Koguryo (leta 37~668 pr. 
n. št. ). Žal se izvirna knjiga ‘Geneza Kogurya’ ni ohranila, tako zgodovinarji niso mogli potrditi kasnejše kopije te knjige 
kot pravega uradnega zgodovinskega vira. Zato najstarejši zapis o uporabi ajde v Koreji ni bil prepoznan kot najstarejši 
vir o ajdi v Koreji. Tako je “Hyangyakgugeubbang” še vedno uradno najstarejši vir o pridelovanju in uporabi ajde v Koreji. 
Photo 1. Genesis of Koguryo (Koguryo Sacho) copied by Mr. Chang 
Hwa Park
24
Park and Park: Historical review on buckwheat use in Korea