Paju 'Yukgye Toseong' Identified as Early Baekje Fortress

National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage to Hold On-site Briefing on Excavation Results on the 27th

Paju Yukgye Toseong Investigation Area [Cultural Heritage Administration National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Paju City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the same day that "in collaboration with the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage under the Cultural Heritage Administration, the excavation survey of Paju Yukgye Fortress, which began in March, confirmed that the fortress was constructed in the early Baekje period, and the excavation site will be opened to the public at 2 p.m. on the 27th."

The excavation site public briefing session, hosted by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, will reveal the excavation results and the site of Yukgye Fortress to related experts and the general public. Anyone can attend without a separate application.

Located in Juwol-ri, Jeokseong-myeon, Paju Yukgye Fortress (a Gyeonggi Province monument) is a flatland fortress in the Imjin River basin. It is regarded as an important historic site that helps understand the defense systems of Baekje and Goguryeo and provides various information about early Baekje history. However, the construction period, the ruling power, scale, and structure of the fortress have not been clearly academically established.

Paju Yukgye Toseong Investigation Area [Cultural Heritage Administration National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage]

Paju City and the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage signed a 'Business Agreement for Mid- to Long-term Academic Research on Paju Yukgye Fortress' in July last year and have promoted various academic studies such as ▲establishing a comprehensive maintenance plan ▲holding academic conferences ▲conducting annual excavation surveys. This year, investigations are underway on the eastern fortress wall and the inner area of Yukgye Fortress.

According to the results of the investigation of the eastern fortress wall and some inner areas so far, it was revealed that Yukgye Fortress was first constructed in the early Baekje period.

Pottery shards from the early Baekje period were also excavated within the rammed earth layers. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal found in the rammed earth layers showed that the main construction period of the fortress was from the late 3rd century to the early 4th century.

Paju Yukgye Toseong Investigation Area [Cultural Heritage Administration National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage]

Additionally, in some sections of the eastern fortress wall, a rammed earth technique was confirmed, similar to the early Baekje fortress of Seoul Pungnap Fortress, where a rectangular frame was constructed and soil of a certain thickness was alternately piled inside the frame.

The fortress was built using both rammed earth (판축) and embankment (성토) techniques. Paju Yukgye Fortress shares similarities with Seoul Pungnap Fortress but also possesses unique characteristics.

Lee Gwi-soon, Director of the Culture and Arts Division, said, "Yukgye Fortress, identified as an early Baekje fortress, is a representative military relic of Paju," adding, "Once the investigation is completed, we plan to promote it as a historical and cultural tourism resource and develop it as a cultural heritage site based on the results."

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