Guseoimyeonsamuso

The building, erected in March 1914, was moved to its present location in 1917 when Sangseo-myeon and Haseo-myeon were merged to form Seoi-myeon. In October 1941 Seoi-myeon was renamed Anyang-myeon, and the building was used as the Anyang-myeon Office until 13 August 1949. Guseoimyeonsamuso consists of a main office wing and an extended annex which, unusually for traditional architecture, are joined under a single roof to form an L-shaped plan. The main wing comprised the township head's office, a night-duty room, and office space. Although the windows and doors have been partially altered, the overall timber frame retains its original form and the structural members are in good condition. It preserves the timber-working, framing techniques and decorative methods of the early twentieth century. A two-bay annex added to the rear, connected to the night-duty room of the original building, was used as a toilet and bathroom. The ridge-beam inscription (sangnyangmun) written when the building was relocated in 1917 records: "Joseon has been joined together to form a folding screen. As a new government office is built in Seoi-myeon, timed to coincide with Cheonjangjeol [the Japanese emperor's birthday], the ridge beam is raised." This inscription has led the building to be assessed as one that glorified Japanese colonial rule. Guseoimyeonsamuso is a rare example of traditional architecture used as an office space in the modern period, but as modern heritage it also carries the historical lesson of a 'Negative Heritage' site bearing witness to colonial administration.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Anyang, Gyeonggi

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료