Andong Haknam Traditional House, Home to Anti-Japanese Resistance, to Be Designated as National Folk Cultural Heritage

A Prestigious Pungsan Kim Family Residence from the 18th Century
Distinctive Layout with Separated Main and Men's Quarters
A Vast Archive of Over 10,000 Historical Records

'Andong Haknam Gotaek' Front Aerial Photo Distant View

'Andong Haknam Traditional House,' located in Omi Village—a clan village of the Pungsan Kim family—is set to be designated as a National Folk Cultural Heritage.

According to the National Heritage Administration on March 11, the designation will be finalized after collecting opinions from various sectors over the course of one month and conducting a review by the Cultural Heritage Committee.

This house was first constructed in 1759, when Kim Sangmok built the main quarters, and later, in 1826, his grandson Kim Jungwoo, known as Haknam, added the sarangchae (men's quarters) and haengnang (servants' quarters), shaping the structure as it stands today. While it follows the typical 'ㅁ'-shaped courtyard house layout found in Andong, it is distinguished by its 'open ㅁ' form (a configuration combining 'ㄷ' and straight shapes or 'ㄱ' and 'ㄴ' shapes, creating an open-cornered square), with the main quarters and sarangchae not connected, giving it unique architectural value.

The extensive collection of records passed down through the family also draws attention. A total of 10,360 items—including old books, historical documents, calligraphy and paintings, and royal flowers—are currently entrusted to and managed by the Korea Studies Advancement Center. Among these, the diaries spanning several generations, from Haknam's son Kim Duheum to his grandson Kim Byunghwang and great-grandson Kim Jungseop, vividly document changes in the 19th-century Andong scholar society and the lifestyle norms of prominent families.

Andong Haknam Gotaek Sarangchae

The academic tradition shifted during the Japanese colonial period into a fervent anti-Japanese resistance movement. In particular, the three brothers Kim Jungseop, Kim Iseop, and Kim Eungseop led the modernization and national salvation efforts in Omi Village. The "Seventy-Seven Years Memoir" (七十七秊回顧錄) by Kim Eungseop, who served as Minister of Justice for the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, provides a vivid portrayal of the era and its notable figures, and is regarded as a key historical source in the history of Korea's independence movement.

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