The jade seal and book were commissioned by Emperor Sunjong (r. 1907-1910) in 1907 to pay great honor to his father, Emperor Gojong (r. 1863–1907), by bestowing the honorific title “壽康” (‘sugang’ meaning “longevity and prosperity”) after he was forced to abdicate by the Japanese government. Emperor Gojong is the second son of Yi, Haeung, also known as Heungseondaewongun (1821-1898), who was one of the great-great-grandsons of King Yeongjo (r. 1724-1776). This is the only seal with an octagonal base, and each of the eight sides is decorated with Palgwe (八卦), or Eight Trigrams (the eight possible combinations of three lines used in Chinese divination). The seal handle is in a dragon shape and also features a hole possibly for a knotted tie, which is now missing.

The book praises the qualities of Emperor Gojong as an emperor and his extraordinary achievements as well as richly describing Emperor Sunjong’s deep reverence for his father. Only the book was housed in the National Palace Museum of Korea. With the return of the seal in 2014, however, the set is now complete.