Baekje’s royal capital awakens through 1,500-year-old records at academic conference

Records left on wooden tablets, stone and metal, as well as inscriptions on Buddhist reliquaries, will form the basis of a conference examining the Baekje royal capital 1,500 years ago.

The Cultural Heritage Administration will hold the 2026 Baekje Royal Capital Core Sites Academic Conference on September 11 at the ICC Hotel in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. Its theme is “The Baekje Royal Capital Awakens Through Records.”

The event will use surviving records to explore how Baekje divided and governed its capital, the Buddhist beliefs of the royal family, and how people made and circulated goods.

Joo Kyung-mi of Chungnam National University will discuss Baekje Buddhism through reliquaries and inscriptions excavated at Wangheungsa and Mireuksa. The material will also be used to examine royal religious beliefs and cultural exchange.

Yoon Sun-tae of Dongguk University will examine the spatial structure of Sabi, drawing on wooden tablets excavated in Buyeo. His presentation will address the capital’s boundaries and internal organization. Other sessions will consider the organization of the Baekje royal capital through epigraphic records.