Uigwe (Korean: 의궤; Hanja: 儀軌) is the generic name given to a collection of approximately 3,895 books recording in detail the royal rituals and ceremonies of the Joseon dynasty of Korea.

[3] Combining text and detailed illustrations, each Uigwe preserves the records of the Superintendency (dogam), set up temporarily to plan and carry out special state rites.

Most of the Uigwe, had one exclusive edition for the king, distinguished by silk covers, high quality paper, binding, superior handwriting and overall presentation, was intended to serve as the royal viewing copy.

The Korean Government tried to retrieve the royal documents through a permanent lease, since French law prohibits national assets to be transferred abroad.

In 2010, a Seoul-based civic group spearhead the return but the request to exclude illegally obtained property from its list of national assets was rejected by a Paris court.

[8] In 1922, during the Korea under Japanese rule, many volumes of books including 167 of Uigwe, along with some 1,000 other relics, stored at the royal Gyujanggak library at Changdeokgung Palace and history archive in the Buddhist temple at Mount Odaesan were transferred to the University of Tokyo.

The looted collection included Empress Myeongseong's state funeral protocol, that lasted for about two years following her murder by Japanese assassins in Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1895.

[10] In August 2010, then-Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced the return of the Uigwe to mark the centenary of Japanese annexation of Korea.

[9] The Uigwe that remained in Korea were preserved and housed in the Gyujanggak library at Seoul National University, and as part of the Jangseogak collection at Academy of Korean Studies.

It recorded the royal feast held by King Injo of Joseon in March 1630, wishing for longevity and good health for Queen Dowager Inmok.