Iksan Ssangneung Park Called 'Iksan Royal Tombs'

Baekje King Mu's Tomb... Establishing the Status of Baekje Royal Capital

Iksan City in Jeonbuk is changing the name of Iksan Ssangneung Park, identified as the tomb of King Mu, to 'Iksan Royal Tombs' to establish its status as the royal capital of the Baekje period.

According to the city on the 14th, to establish the historical identity of Baekje and reflect research achievements so far, the name of Iksan 'Ssangneung Park' will be changed to 'Iksan Royal Tombs.'

On the 14th, Iksan Ssangneung Park will be renamed "Iksan Wangneungwon" to establish the status of the Baekje royal capital. The photo shows a view of Iksan Wangneungwon. [Photo by Iksan City]

Wangneungwon (王陵園) is a compound word combining 'wangneung,' referring to the tombs of kings and queens, and 'won,' referring to the tombs of crown princes and royal family members.

Since the investigation by Japanese researchers in 1917, many researchers have vaguely inferred that Iksan Ssangneung is of royal tomb grade. However, in 2018, after 100 years, a formal excavation of the Ssangneung Great Royal Tomb was conducted, revealing through natural scientific analysis and examination of the tomb structure that the occupant was King Mu.

Iksan Ssangneung is currently undergoing land acquisition, academic research, and landscape restoration projects until 2038, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration’s implementation plan for the preservation and management of core Baekje royal capital relics.

In particular, excavation investigations have been expanded to the cultural heritage protection zone, and in the 2021 excavation, two large building sites presumed to be ritual facilities related to King Mu’s tomb were confirmed. It is expected that the extent of the tomb area will be further revealed.

Thus, due to the excavations of the Great Royal Tomb, the Small Royal Tomb, and the surrounding cultural heritage protection zone, public opinion has continuously called for establishing the status of Iksan Ssangneung as the royal capital of Baekje and changing the name of the cultural heritage.

Previously, in 2019, Gongju and Buyeo, which form the Baekje Historical and Cultural Area along with Iksan, changed the names of their cultural heritage sites: Gongju Songsan-ri Tumuli to ‘Gongju King Muryeong’s Tomb and Royal Tombs,’ and Buyeo Neungsan-ri Tumuli to ‘Buyeo Royal Tombs,’ respectively.

Mayor Jeong Heon-yul stated, “By changing the name of Iksan Ssangneung Park to ‘Iksan Royal Tombs,’ we aim to establish the status of Iksan as the Baekje royal capital, including the Ssangneung and relics related to King Mu’s life story. We plan to firmly establish historical identity and promote maintenance befitting the status of the royal tombs.”

Meanwhile, Iksan Ssangneung is being promoted in four stages?land acquisition, academic research, site maintenance, and utilization?with an investment of 25 billion won until 2038, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration’s implementation plan for the preservation and management of core Baekje royal capital relics. About 90% of the land acquisition has been completed, and landscape restoration projects to remove obstacles on the acquired land, as well as city and excavation surveys, are currently underway.

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