Woram Head House, Gyeongju

This was the house of Kim Ho, who served as Busan cheomsa (assistant garrison commander of Busan) and distinguished himself during the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592, the 25th year of King Seonjo of Joseon. It is thought to have been built around the 17th century. There is a theory that the site was once the location of a Silla-period temple: several stone structures made during the Unified Silla period stand nearby, and the well-stone in the yard is still in use today. Entering through the main gate, the main quarters (anchae) stand directly ahead, the lower quarters (araechae) to the left, and the family shrine (gamyo) is set behind and to the right of the main quarters. The men's quarters (sarangchae) are said to have originally stood to the east, but today only the site remains. The main quarters measure five kan across the front and one kan deep, with a simple layout of, from left to right, a kitchen, a room, a wooden-floored hall (daecheong) and a room. The techniques used in building the house follow old conventions, and doors were fitted in front of the daecheong. Fitting doors to the daecheong in this way is rare north of the Andong region and is found concentrated in the Gyeongju and Wolseong area; among such examples, this house is particularly notable for showing an old building technique. The lower quarters measure three kan across the front and one kan deep and have a thatched roof. From left to right they consist of a room, a room and a kitchen, and show an unusual feature in that the chimney is set to one side of the cooking stove. The family shrine is a gable-roofed building enclosed by its own separate wall, built as a single open room with no internal partitions. As one of the oldest surviving folk houses, it is valued as important material for research owing to its old building techniques and distinctive structure. At the time of designation the name was "Old House of Kim Heon-yong, Tap-dong, Gyeongju," but on 29 January 2007 it was renamed "Old House of General Kim Ho, Gyeongju," in recognition that it was the home of General Kim Ho (d. 1592), who died a martyr's death as a righteous-army leader during the Japanese invasions. Note: this heritage is generally open to visitors, but access may be restricted owing to the owner's personal circumstances.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산