Sangju Local Office

This was a building where local gentry gathered to assist with administrative affairs while maintaining their social and political standing within the local community; it also served as a link connecting Seoul with the provinces. It was first built in the late 1500s by Han Sun, who had served as county magistrate, but was destroyed during the Japanese invasions of 1592–98; it is said to have been rebuilt in 1610, the second year of King Gwanghaegun, by his grandson Han Jin. It was subsequently renovated on several occasions, and during the Japanese colonial period it was used as a site for Japanese military administration. Until 1995 it continued to be used as an office of Sangju city administration. The building measures five bays across the front and two bays along the side, though the structure itself has suffered considerable damage. It is of high value both for showing how local gentry voluntarily took part in developing their communities, and because such hyangcheong, local administrative offices of this kind, survive only rarely.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Sangju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료