Jeju-mok Government Office

The Jeju-mok Government Office, the centre of Joseon-period administration for the Jeju region, occupied the area now including Gwandeokjeong Pavilion in Jeju (a treasure) and the surrounding site of the main government office buildings; from the Tamna kingdom down through the Joseon dynasty it served as the political, administrative and cultural centre of Jeju. Work on the office buildings began immediately after a fire in 1434 (the sixteenth year of King Sejong) destroyed the entire government compound, and the basic layout was completed the following year, 1435; extensions and rebuildings continued throughout the Joseon dynasty. During the Japanese colonial period, however, the Jeju-mok government office was intensively demolished, and apart from Gwandeokjeong Pavilion no trace of it remained. Jeju City therefore carried out four excavations between 1991 and 1998, confirming the various cultural layers from the Tamna period through to the Joseon dynasty, as well as the location and scale of the Dongheon (the main administrative hall) and Naea (the magistrate's private quarters) building sites, key facilities of the Jeju-mok government office. On 30 March 1993 the area of the Jeju-mok government office site was designated a historic site, and, on the basis of the foundation stones and platform stones confirmed during the excavations, together with textual research using period sources such as the Tamna sullyeokdo (Illustrated Record of the Tour of Duty of the Tamna Magistrate) and the Tamna bangyeong chongnam (General Survey of the Tamna Defence Command), and consultation with members of the Central Cultural Heritage Committee, local historians and other experts, restoration work was completed in December 2002; the site now conveys the historic atmosphere unique to Jeju. The Oedaemun, the two-storey gate tower leading into the government office compound, is recorded in historical sources as 'Jinhaeru' and 'Tamna Pojeongsa'. It is said to have been built as the main gate of the office when Honghwagak was founded in 1435, and to have been rebuilt in 1699 by Magistrate Nam Ji-hun; as a two-storey pavilion it was also used as a bell tower. Yeonhuigak was the office where the magistrate (moksa) carried out his official duties, and was also known as the Dongheon of the Senior Office (Sanga) or the magistrate's Main Office (Jeong-a) - 'Sanga' distinguishing it from the Ia, the office of the deputy magistrate (pangwan). According to the Record of Yeonhuigak (Yeonhuigakgi) by Magistrate Yi Won-jo, 'Yeonhuigak has no old record, so the exact date of its construction is unknown, nor is it known who named or wrote the signboard. The building has double eaves and a deep roof and is built high on a stone platform. It was named Yeonhui ("continuing sunlight") to express the sincere wish of a subject serving in a distant post to give his utmost loyalty.' Honghwagak was the building used as the headquarters of the jeoljesa (military commissioner), where he formerly conducted his duties. It was founded in 1435 (the seventeenth year of King Sejong) by the pacification commissioner Choe Hae-san, rebuilt in 1648 (the twenty-sixth year of King Injo) by Magistrate Kim Yeo-su, and, when the post was raised to a Defence Command (Bangeoyeong) in 1713 (the thirty-ninth year of King Sukjong) and a separate main office was established, it became the office of the command's clerks (Yeongnicheong). It was named Honghwagak in the hope that the king's benevolent influence would extend widely to the people, and was regarded as such an outstanding building among the government offices that it was known as the 'Old Pavilion of Tamna' (Tamna Gogak). Uryeondang is a pavilion that Magistrate Yi Su-dong built in 1526 (the twenty-first year of King Jungjong) beside a pond he had dug and planted with lotuses, on the grounds that if the walled town had no well it would be difficult to cope with an enemy siege or a fire; it was used as a venue for banquets. Later, during the reign of King Yeongjo, Magistrate Kim Jeong repaired the pavilion, built a stone platform in the middle of the pond and planted flowers and bamboo there, renaming it Hyanguisil (Hall of Ritual Offerings) and using it as a place to present tribute goods. Yeongjuhyeopdang was the office where the military officers (gungwan) assisting the magistrate served; it was originally the office where military officers worked. The date of its founding is uncertain, but when the earlier Gungwancheong (Military Officers' Office) was divided between the Defence Command and the Magistracy, it became the Yeong Gungwancheong. The number of military officers, originally fifteen, was reduced to ten in the early reign of King Hyojong after the royal inspector Yi Gyeong-eok petitioned the court. Gyullimdang was a place where the Jeju magistrate enjoyed quiet leisure, used for playing the geomungo (a Korean zither), playing baduk (Go), composing poetry and drinking wine. It was rebuilt in 1743 (the nineteenth year of King Yeongjo) by Magistrate An Gyeong-un, repaired again in 1769 (the forty-fifth year of King Yeongjo), and, after falling into disrepair, repaired once more in 1842 (the eighth year of King Heonjong) by Magistrate Yi Won-jo. Manggyeongnu was a space for honouring the king's grace and, at the same time, a watchtower for monitoring Japanese pirates (waegu) invading the seas off Jeju. Guided by the North Star, one looked from here towards Seoul, where the king resided, and honoured his benevolence; it was one of the important buildings of the Jeju-mok government office. It was founded in 1556 (the eleventh year of King Myeongjong) by Magistrate Kim Su-mun, rebuilt in 1668 (the ninth year of King Hyeonjong) by Magistrate Yi In, and repaired in 1806 (the sixth year of King Sunjo) by Magistrate Park Jong-ju. Hoerang refers to the long wings on either side of the main hall (jeongdang), forming a corridor connecting the buildings. Each bay was probably originally enclosed by walls to serve as a room or for some other use, but it has now been restored in an open form. Jungdaemun, an entrance within the government office, was the gate positioned between the Oedaemun and the Naedaemun (inner great gate) leading to the Dongheon. (Note: the designated name was changed from Jejumokgwana to Jeju-mok Government Office, notified on 28 July 2011.)

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jeju City, Jeju

Designation

Historic Site · 사적