"Anseong Cheongwonsa Daeungjeon," Where Different Bracket Styles Coexist, to Be Designated as a Treasure
by Lee Jonggil
Published 01 Dec.2025 09:00(KST)
A Building Illustrating the Transitional Period from Goryeo to Joseon Architecture
16th-Century Architectural Design and Structure Preserved Within a Single Building
Anseong Cheongwonsa Daeungjeon, which demonstrates the architectural transition from the late Goryeo period to the early Joseon dynasty, will be designated as a Treasure. The National Heritage Administration announced on December 1 that it will collect opinions from various sectors for a month and finalize the designation after a review by the Cultural Heritage Committee.
The exact date of construction for Anseong Cheongwonsa Daeungjeon is unknown. However, a construction record remains in the ridge beam inscription from 1854, confirming that the building predates this year. Based on stylistic elements such as the bracket technique and the composition of the bracket clusters, it is presumed to date back to the early Joseon period. Analysis of timber species and dendrochronology have revealed that the main structural members are made of wood from the 15th century.
The structure features a gabled roof with three bays on both the front and side. Different types of bracket clusters coexist within the same building. The front employs the multi-bracket style, where brackets are placed both on top of and between the columns, while the rear applies the protruding bracket and winged bracket style, which combines extended structural members (chulmok) and wing-shaped decorations (ikgong).
The National Heritage Administration evaluated the building as having significant academic and artistic value, citing the rarity of structures built before the Japanese invasions of Korea (Imjin War) that have preserved their original form, the presence of 16th-century architectural design and structure within a single building, and its representation of the transitional period from the Goryeo single-bracket system (jusimpo) to the Joseon winged bracket system (ikgong).
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