Gimdeokammyo Shrine and Spirit-path Stele

This is the tomb and spirit-path stele of Kim Deok-ham (1562–1636), a civil official who served during the reigns of King Seonjo and King Injo of Joseon. In 1617, the ninth year of King Gwanghaegun, he joined Yi Hang-bok and Jeong Hong-ik in opposing the move to depose Queen Dowager Inmok, and was exiled to Namhae; he was reinstated after the Injo Restoration. The tomb is a single mound shared with his wife of the Gyeongju Yi clan. To the right of the mound's front stand an old tombstone, a stele inscribed with the name of the deceased, and a more recently erected one. The old tombstone is of the common wonsu-bangbu type, with a rounded capstone and a square base. Its inscription was composed by Bak Se-chae and written by his great-grandson Kim Yu; the date of erection is not recorded, but the style indicates the seventeenth century. The stone statue of a civil official is of the yanggwan-jobok type, showing a figure wearing a yanggwan cap and official court robes; its carved lines are deep and clear, and the vivid detail of the face expresses well its symbolic role of guarding the tomb. At the entrance to the burial ground stands a spirit-path stele, a stele erected beside the road near a tomb to commemorate the lifetime achievements of a king or high official, housed within a stele pavilion. It was erected in 1686, the twelfth year of King Sukjong; the inscription was composed by Song Si-yeol and written by his great-grandson Kim Yu, while Kim Su-hang added further value by writing the jeonaek, the stele's title carved in seal script. It is of the common okgae-bangbu type, with a roof-shaped capstone and a square base, yet presents a grand and dignified appearance. This tomb complex is a highly valuable cultural heritage site that well embodies both the tomb customs of seventeenth-century Joseon literati and the artistry of their stone monuments.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Paju, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물