The 1425-built Walls of Gijang Eupseong Fortress Are 'Alive'

Busan Gijang-gun Reveals Magnificent 70m West Fortress Wall During Restoration
Preservation Status Confirmed Very Good... Positive Signal for National Historic Site Designation

The western fortress wall of Gijang-eupseong in Gijang-gun, Busan.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] The fortress wall of Gijang Eupseong in Busan has been confirmed to be well preserved, signaling a green light for its designation as a national key cultural asset.

Gijang Eupseong, constructed in 1425, is a cultural asset of Gijang-gun and holds high historical value as its style differs from the Japanese castles built along the southeastern coast after the Imjin War.

In September, while carrying out demolition work on buildings on purchased land as part of the Gijang Eupseong maintenance project, Gijang-gun confirmed that approximately 70 meters of the western fortress wall is preserved in very good condition.

Gijang-gun expects this to be a positive sign for future designation as a national historic site.

The confirmed western fortress wall has a maximum remaining height of 3.4 meters, and most related facilities such as the inner slope (inside the fortress wall), stairs along the wall, and ramps remain in good condition.

An excavation survey of the area is planned for October, and academic experts anticipate securing scholarly materials that can verify the structure of the coastal fortresses built along the southeastern coast during the Joseon Dynasty.

To designate Gijang Eupseong as a national historic site, Gijang-gun completed the necessary survey services in 2019 and applied for national cultural heritage designation to the Cultural Heritage Administration earlier this year. The application is currently under review.

In May, Gijang-gun Governor Oh Gyu-seok and related officials visited the Cultural Heritage Administration to explain the academic value, supporting data, and preservation and utilization plans for Gijang Eupseong, requesting active cooperation from the administration.

Gijang Eupseong, constructed in 1425, is a representative cultural asset of Gijang-gun. Since 1999, Gijang-gun and Busan City have invested 21.6 billion KRW in restoration and maintenance projects. They successfully purchased 142 plots totaling 23,777 square meters, about 88% of the entire project site.

The Gijang Jang-gwancheong and the Dongbu-ri Chinese scholar tree, which was on the verge of dying, were designated as cultural assets in 2008, followed by restoration and recovery efforts. Modern buildings within the fortress, known as filming locations for the movie "Ode to My Father," are also being prepared for registration as modern cultural assets to ensure their preservation.

Since 2017, Gijang-gun has conducted phased excavation surveys of Gijang Eupseong and its surroundings to systematically restore and maintain the fortress. From 2019, restoration work on the moat around the southern wall has been underway and is expected to be completed within this year.

Additionally, after completing the detailed design for the restoration of the southern gate of Gijang Eupseong, construction for the restoration will begin in November.

A Gijang-gun official stated, "The confirmation that the scale and preservation status of the western fortress wall of Gijang Eupseong are good is expected to positively influence the ongoing national historic site designation process. We anticipate that the Gijang Eupseong area will become a representative historical and cultural tourism destination in the eastern Busan region, linked with Gijang Market."

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