The Origins of the Choson Dynasty provides an exhaustive analysis of the structure and composition of Korea's central officialdom during the transition from the Koryo dynasty (918-1392) to the Choson dynasty (1392-1910) and offers a new interpretation of the history of traditional Korea. "A work of profound scholarship and meticulous research, this book is an extremely important study on an important subject and should be indispensable reading for anyone interested in the history of the Koryo and Choson dynasties. It is also an excellent comparative study of aspects of East Asian history and institutions."― Korean Studies John Duncan is professor of pre-modern Korean history and director of the Center for Korea Studies at UCLA.