‘Wongyo Igwangsa Cultural Street’ Established in Sinji-myeon, Wando-gun

Completion of Three Themed Streets and Rest Areas, Including Exile Site Restoration

[Wando＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyung-pil] Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do announced that it has completed the ‘Wongyo Yi Gwangsa Cultural Street’ project and held a completion ceremony on the 17th.

The ‘Wongyo Yi Gwangsa Cultural Street’ was created in the Daepyeong-ri area of Sinji-myeon with a total project cost of 1.8 billion KRW.

The street (1,380m) includes sections called ‘Path of the Nameless,’ ‘Path of Pine Fragrance,’ and ‘Path of Ink Fragrance,’ along with rest areas. Along the wall of Sinji Middle School, Yi Gwangsa’s calligraphy and works are engraved, and the pine tree (Wongyo Tree) said to have been planted by Yi Gwangsa was maintained, along with the restoration of his exile site.

Wongyo Yi Gwangsa (1705?1777) was a representative calligrapher of the late Joseon Dynasty.

While exiled in Hamgyeong-do, he was relocated to Sinji Island in Wando, where he spent 15 years and passed away at the age of 72 on Sinji Island.

During his exile on Sinji Island, he did not imitate other calligraphy styles but created the ‘Donggukjinche,’ which became the foundation of the most Korean-style calligraphy, and completed ‘Seogyeol,’ a systematic theoretical book on calligraphy.

‘Seogyeol’ has been designated as Treasure No. 1969 of the Republic of Korea.

Accordingly, the county promoted the ‘Wongyo Yi Gwangsa Cultural Street’ project to revisit Wongyo Yi Gwangsa’s footsteps and to promote his philosophy and artistic world.

A county official said, “We hope that the Wongyo Yi Gwangsa Cultural Street will be linked with the Myeongsasimni Beach, a representative tourist spot in Sinji-myeon, and the marine healing industry being developed around Sinji, becoming a new attraction in Wando.”

Wando＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyung-pil ckp6737@asiae.co.kr

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