Did Baekje, Which Moved Its Capital at Its Own Expense, Also Build a Fortress in Front of Geumgang?

Cultural Heritage Administration Conducts Excavation at San 6-2, Gugyo-ri, Buyeo-eup
Seonaseong, Natural Moat with Geumgang Flow Still Controversial
"Confirmation of Fortress Wall Rammed Earth Section and Southern Flat Area Remains"

The area of Buyeo Naseong survey site viewed from the southeast sky
[Photo by Cultural Heritage Administration]

An excavation survey has begun to verify the existence of Seonaseong at ‘Buyeo Naseong (Historic Site No. 58)’, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

The Cultural Heritage Administration, Buyeo County, and the Baekje Ancient Capital Cultural Foundation announced on the 6th that they started the excavation on the 3rd at the section from the western fortress wall of Busosanseong towards Gudre, around San 6-2, Gugyo-ri, Buyeo-eup. Buyeo Naseong is a fortress built when Baekje moved its capital to Sabi in 538 to defend the Sabi capital city and to mark the spatial boundaries inside and outside the city. The areas presumed to have existed on the four sides of the capital city are called Dongnaseong (East Fortress), Buknaseong (North Fortress), Seonaseong (West Fortress), and Namnaseong (South Fortress), respectively.

Excavations at Buyeo Naseong have been conducted about thirty times since the Dongnaseong section was first investigated in 1991. As a result, the actual structures of the Dongnaseong and Buknaseong fortress walls and various construction techniques according to the terrain were confirmed. However, the actual existence of Seonaseong and Namnaseong remains unclear. The Geumgang River, which serves as a natural moat on the west and south sides of the Sabi capital city, has caused ongoing controversy regarding their existence. A moat refers to an artificial trench or natural stream surrounding a fortress wall to prevent enemy access as a defensive facility.

Buyeo Naseong Survey Status Map
[Photo by Cultural Heritage Administration]

Kim Seung-dae, a researcher at the Baekje Royal Capital Core Relics Preservation and Management Project Team, stated, “There are claims that the Seonaseong fortress wall exists from the western fortress wall of Busosanseong towards the Gudrae direction, but its actual presence is not clear on the surface at present.” He added, “In this investigation, we plan to confirm the fortress wall body section (體城部, the main body part of the fortress wall) in the section where the Seonaseong fortress wall is presumed to pass, and verify the existence of remains in the southern flat area presumed to be the Seonaseong fortress wall.”

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