Buseol Stele of Geumjeongsanseong Fortress

This stele was erected to commemorate the renewal of Geumjeongsanseong Fortress, Korea's largest mountain fortress, following its repair. It now stands atop a large rock amid a residential area, about 200 m west of Geumjeong Elementary School. According to the Jeungbo Munheon Bigo (Revised and Enlarged Reference Compilation of Documents on Korea), Geumjeongsanseong Fortress was built in 1703 (the 29th year of King Sukjong), when the provincial governor Jo Tae-dong ordered Park Tae-hang, the magistrate of Dongnae, to construct it. However, an earlier record from 1667 (the eighth year of King Hyeonjong) shows the naval commander Yi Ji-hyeong petitioning the king to repair Geumjeongsanseong Fortress, suggesting the fortress dates from an even earlier period. The foundations that survive today were built in 1703, reflecting a renewed concern for national defence following the Japanese invasions of 1592–98 and the Manchu invasion of 1636. Later, during the reign of King Sunjo, Oh Han-won, the magistrate of Dongnae, rebuilt the gates and restored the collapsed walls, and this stele records that restoration. The stele is a simple rectangular slab with only its upper corners rounded, bearing no other decoration. Its front records the history of the fortress from its original construction to the circumstances of its restoration and the details of the additional construction work, while its back is inscribed with the names of those who supervised the work. It is the most reliable surviving source for the study of Geumjeongsanseong Fortress, and was erected in 1808 (the eighth year of King Sunjo), when Oh Han-won restored the fortress.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Geumjeong-gu, Busan

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물