How Have the Outskirts of Korean Peninsula Cities Developed?

Cultural Heritage Administration Academic Conference on "Emergence and Development of Suburban Areas in Korean Peninsula Cities"

The Cultural Heritage Administration will hold an academic conference on the 20th and 21st at the Yuseong Hotel in Daejeon, themed "The Emergence and Development of Outer City Walls (外廓, walls built outside the main fortress) on the Korean Peninsula." The conference will compare and study the overall changes in city outskirts from ancient times to the Joseon Dynasty, including the outer walls of the Baekje Sabi Capital. The aim is to re-evaluate their value and establish preservation and management policies for the core heritage sites of the Baekje royal capital.

On the 20th, five experts will participate in presentations. Kim Hwanhee, a curator at the National Buyeo Cultural Heritage Research Institute, will introduce the emergence and development of ancient city outskirts. He hypothesizes that the outer walls constructed in the 6th century were adopted under the influence of Northern Dynasties amid the urbanization of ancient fortresses. Park Seongjin, a curator at the National Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute, will discuss the development and progression of city outskirts from the Unified Silla to the Goryeo period. He plans to explain changes in the royal capital during the Unified Silla period, the status of Taebong Cheorwon Fortress during the Later Three Kingdoms period, and the formation and changes of Gaegyeong.

Nam Hohyun, a curator at the National Ganghwa Cultural Heritage Research Institute, will examine the structural characteristics and changes of the Hanyang Fortress. He views the fortress as a framework built on Confucian ideals, completed through accumulated changes over time. He argues that this reflects a history of attempts, failures, and compromises to solve practical problems. Professors Zhang Liangren from Nanjing University and Yamamoto Takafumi will introduce the development and progression of city outskirts in China and Japan, respectively.

On the 21st, presentations will mainly focus on the latest excavation results and case studies on the preservation, management, and utilization of World Heritage sites. These include "The Emergence and Development of Japanese Korean-style Mountain Fortresses" by Mukai Kazuo from the Japanese Ancient Mountain Fortress Research Association, "Latest Excavation Results of Buyeo Naseong" by Seong Hyunhwa from the Baekje Ancient Capital Cultural Foundation, "The Process and Significance of the Baekje Historic Areas' World Heritage Listing" by Lee Dongju, director of the Baekje World Heritage Center, and "Management and Utilization of Buyeo Naseong as a World Heritage Site" by Choi Heegyun from the Baekje Ancient Capital Cultural Foundation.

The Cultural Heritage Administration will livestream all presentations on its YouTube channel. Attendance is limited to those selected through prior application due to the resurgence of COVID-19. For more details, refer to the Baekje Royal Capital Core Heritage Preservation and Management Project Promotion Team.

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