Jindo Island Manggeumsangwanbangseong Fortress

Manggeumsan Fortress stands on a small peak (67m) about 500m southeast of, and partway down the slope from, the summit (111.5m) of Manggeumsan Mountain in Nokjin-ri, Gunnae-myeon, Jindo-gun. The fortress has a circumference of 460m; it is a hilltop-type coastal defence fortress guarding a strait, higher in the west than in the east, built by mixing excavated soil with rough stones and cutting away the outer face so as to make approach difficult. Manggeumsan Fortress carries important significance as a historical site of the Battle of Myeongnyang. It is believed to be a defence-related site used in the fighting of that time; roof-tile fragments from Baekje and earthenware from Silla have been recovered within the fortress, and among the many fortresses of the region it is geographically important as one guarding a key sea passage, giving it great value for preservation and protection. It is said to be the place where Ganggangsullae, a traditional circle dance and song, was performed during the Imjin and Jeongyu Wars of the Joseon period, though this is difficult to verify given the sloping terrain. The fortress was in fact built much earlier than that and had already been functioning as a defence site, which is the basis of its geographical importance as a defence fortress. Yi Sun-sin described Jindo Island as a strategic point of the southern region, and during the reign of King Seonjo of Joseon, Panjungchubusa (a senior state council official) Yu Du-su called Jindo "the most vital of defence areas." The Dongguk yeoji-ji likewise describes it as "a place of strategic importance on the sea routes," referring to Uldumok, a narrow strait likened to "the throat of the land." Manggeumsan Fortress is the defence fortress that guarded this Uldumok strait; built in the Unified Silla period, it continued to function as a defence site through the Goryeo and Joseon periods, giving it great historical and academic value.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jindo, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물