Changwon City's First Joseon Dynasty Open Port 'Jepo Waegwan' Held

Ungcheon Doyoji Exhibition Hall Jinhae Excavated Relics and Artifacts Exhibition

A prestigious roof tile displayed at the Ungcheon Kiln Site Exhibition Hall located in Dudong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam. (Photo by Changwon City)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Hwang Choi Hyun-joo] The Ungcheon Kiln Site Exhibition Hall in Changwon City, Gyeongnam, announced on the 12th that it will hold an exhibition titled "Joseon Dynasty's First Open Port, Jepo Waegwan" from June 16 to August 30. This exhibition features artifacts unearthed from an excavation conducted in 2019 at the site of the Ungdong access road construction, carried out by the Busan Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority.

Jepo Waegwan is one of the three Waegwans (Japanese trading posts) during the Joseon Dynasty, along with Busanpo Waegwan and Yeompo Waegwan. While Busanpo Waegwan and Yeompo Waegwan have been damaged and are currently untraceable due to modern urbanization, Jepo Waegwan is the only Waegwan site confirmed through relics, making it highly significant in terms of foreign relations history.

Relics such as Japanese-style castles and enemy residences in the Changwon area were created when Japan invaded Joseon, but Jepo Waegwan was established by the Joseon government allocating land to the Japanese when Joseon held the upper hand over Japan, marking a clear distinction from other Japanese-related relics.

Most of the excavated artifacts are roof tiles and porcelain shards. Notably, an eaves tile excavated from the eastern foundation of a building site bears the inscription "大明正德八年春造 (Made in the spring of the 8th year of Zhengde of the Great Ming)," allowing estimation of the building's date.

The city hopes that this exhibition, linked with Gyeongnam Province Monument No. 15 Ungcheon Eupseong and Gyeongnam Province Monument No. 75 Ungcheon Waeseong, both related to Japan, will provide an opportunity to reflect on the historical significance of Jepo Waegwan and its exchange relations with Japan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.