Geoje Sujeongsanseong Fortress Designated as Historic Site... Latest-Built Joseon Dynasty Fortress

First Built by Silla, Renovated for Over a Millennium
Rare Fortress with Construction Records
Features Decorative Roof Tiles and Lime

Geojedo Sujeongsanseong Fortress Panorama

The "Geoje Sujeongsanseong Fortress," constructed in 1873 during the late Joseon Dynasty, will now be managed as a Historic Site. As the most recently built fortress among those recorded in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, it holds significant rarity.

The National Heritage Administration announced on the 30th that Geoje Sujeongsanseong Fortress has been designated as a Historic Site. A commemorative event will be held in Geoje City on November 11.

Sujeongsanseong Fortress is a stone fortress encircling the summit of Sujeongsan Mountain at an elevation of 143 meters. Its circumference is approximately 450 meters. The fortress was named Sujeongsanseong based on the inscription "Oksan Geumseong" carved into a rock outside the west gate and historical records from the Joseon period.

Through eleven excavation surveys, it was confirmed that the fortress was originally built by the Silla Dynasty and underwent multiple repairs and reconstructions during the Goryeo and Joseon periods. The construction methods of the fortress walls differ by era, illustrating the evolution of fortress-building techniques.

View of Geojedo Sujeongsanseong Fortress

The final construction phase took place in the 10th year of King Gojong's reign (1873). An inscription stone remaining inside the fortress, titled "Sujeongsanseong Chukseonggi," records that Song Heeseung, the magistrate of Geoje, and local residents built the fortress themselves without government support to defend against foreign invasions. According to the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, this is the latest-dated fortress among those with surviving records.

The remains of the east and west gates and building sites inside the fortress are relatively well preserved. Building Site No. 1, which lacks an ondol heating system and features decorative roof tiles and lime, is presumed to have served a special purpose such as an official residence. Notably, a large amount of high-quality materials was used, even though there are no lime deposits in the Yeongnam region.

In the earliest sections of the fortress walls, construction techniques from the late 6th to early 7th centuries of the Silla Dynasty were identified. The National Heritage Administration stated, "This is an important resource showing the period when Silla expanded its defense system to the southern coastal region."

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