Buan Guniseoksu Burial Ground

This burial ground holds the tomb of Yi Seok-su, Prince Buan (1524-1598), a grandson of King Seongjong, the ninth king of Joseon, who was honoured as a merit subject for escorting King Seonjo during the Japanese invasions of 1592-1598, together with the tomb of his wife, Lady of the Pyeonggang Chae clan, who held the rank of hyeonbuin, a title for the wife of a prince's son. It now lies within the Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak-dong. Prince Buan Yi Seok-su was a son of Prince Musan, who was born to King Seongjong and his consort Lady Myeongbin of the Kim clan. He was born in the nineteenth year of King Jungjong's reign (1524) and died in the thirty-first year of King Seonjo's reign (1598). He was first appointed Buanjeong with the rank of Changseondaebu, but after serving on night duty at the spirit hall in a gapjin year he was appointed dojeong with the rank of Myeongseondaebu. During the Japanese invasions he escorted King Seonjo and was honoured as a merit subject for his service. The burial ground was probably first laid out around 1598, the year he died, but since the tombstone was erected in the third year of King Yeongjo's reign (1727), it appears the site was reorganised around the time the stone was set up. Within the burial ground, besides the tombs of Prince Buan Yi Seok-su and Lady Pyeonggang Chae, there are the tombs of his grandson Yi Seon-ryong, Prince Sunan, and his wife, Lady of the Namwon Yun clan, who also held the rank of hyeonbuin: four tombs in all, with six stone objects. The tombs of Prince Buan and Lady Pyeonggang Chae lie at a lower level, separated by a step, below those of Prince Sunan and Lady Namwon Yun. Behind the tombs an earthen mound called a saseong has been built, curving round to embrace the graves, with a ridge known as a yongmi, or dragon's tail, extending from it. According to the tombstone, Prince Buan's grave lies to the left as one faces the tombs, and Lady Pyeonggang Chae's to the right. In front of the graves, taking the stepped stone border called the gyecheseok as the reference point, the tombstone, a spirit-seat stone and an offering table are placed on the upper step, while an incense-burner stone, attached to the offering table, is placed on the lower step. Below the gyecheseok stand two civil-official stone statues, one on each side, left and right. There are no ornamental stone pillars or stone lanterns. The tombstone, erected midway between the graves of Prince Buan and Lady Pyeonggang Chae, is in a style in which the stone body is set into a rectangular pedestal and topped with a stone carved in the shape of a traditional house roof. The civil-official statues on both sides wear court dress with a gold-coloured official's cap and hold a ceremonial tablet in their hands, though their faces are considerably worn. The tombs of Yi Seon-ryong, Prince Sunan, his wife Lady Namwon Yun, and of the Yeoheung Min clan, have badly collapsed mounds and no stone objects.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Dongjak-gu, Seoul

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료