Indongipseok

A standing stone (ipseok) is a long dressed stone erected upright; it is also called a seondol, a type of megalithic culture similar to dolmens. In prehistoric times, standing stones were erected around dolmens to mark the boundary of a tomb, while in historical times they were set up at village entrances to ward off evil spirits or to mark boundaries, and, merging with indigenous beliefs, they also became objects of prayer for longevity. This particular standing stone was erected around the time a government office was established in the Indong region, both to benefit the town's geomantic fortune (pungsu) and to catch thieves. Of the original three stones, only two survive, and they are known as 'the rock that catches thieves' or Chulpoam. On the large stone on the right as viewed from the front, the name Gwaehyeogam is carved on the front face, Indong Sugu-seok, meaning the stone marking Indong's water outlet, is carved on the back, and the story behind the names is recorded on another face. Gwaehyeogam means 'the rock on which straw sandals were hung', and it commemorates the integrity of Yi Deung-rim, the county magistrate of Indong, who treated even a single straw sandal as government property and never neglected it. The townspeople carved this name during the reign of King Seonjo of Joseon, and the accompanying inscription recording the story was added more than 350 years later. The stone standing beside it was carved by Japanese residents during the Japanese colonial period as the 'Taisho Commemorative Monument', and after Korea's liberation it was recarved as the 'Monument to the Founding of the Republic of Korea'. The stones originally stood by the road at the three-way junction in front of Jinpyeong High School, but were moved here so that more people could see them.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gumi, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료