Guksae

A guksae or oksae (국새,옥새) is an official seal made for used in lieu of signatures in personal documents, office paperwork, contracts, art, or any item requiring acknowledgment or authorship in South Korea. Guksae is carved with characters called injang. With the establishment of the South Korean state in 1948, its government created a new state seal, or guksae (국새, 國璽). It is used in promulgation of constitution, designation of cabinet members and ambassadors, conference of national orders and important diplomatic documents.

In the past guksae was called oksae which was used as a symbol of the legitimacy of the king and the country. The term guksae began to be used during the reign of Gongmin from the Goryeo Dynasty (reigned 1351-1374). During the Joseon Dynasty (1397-1910), oksae was used as a symbol of royal authority and to authenticate official documents. Whenever a king ascends the throne, the handing over of oksae is a formal event that symbolizes the transfer of power. During the ceremonial procession, oksae are placed in the place of the procession to symbolize the power of the king.