'Yeoncheon Daejeonri Sanseong and Yongin Seokseongsan Bongsuteo' to Become Gyeonggi-do Cultural Heritage

Yeoncheon Daejeonri Mountain Fortress

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province announced on the 4th its intention to designate 'Yeoncheon Daejeon-ri Mountain Fortress' and 'Yongin Seokseongsan Beacon Mound' as provincial cultural assets.

Yeoncheon Daejeon-ri Mountain Fortress is a mountain fortress from the Three Kingdoms period located at a military strategic point in Daejeon-ri, Yeoncheon-gun. Among the mountain fortresses in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas, it is regarded as an important site that reveals the changes from the Three Kingdoms period to the Joseon Dynasty.

This site holds very high geographical importance as it lies along a long corridor area (a long and narrow passable zone) formed by the Chugaryeong structural valley between Yeoncheon and Yangju.

In particular, it is known as the site of the fierce 'Maecho Fortress Battle,' a key battleground during the seven-year war between Silla and Tang China in the process of unifying the Three Kingdoms.

The Yongin Seokseongsan Beacon Mound is a beacon site located at the summit of Seokseongsan Mountain in Yongin. It is situated on a major beacon route connecting Namsan (Mokmyeoksan) in Seoul, Cheonrimsan in Seongnam, and Seokseongsan in Yongin, holding historical and geopolitical value.

It is especially recognized for its academic value as one of the rare remaining beacon mounds in Gyeonggi Province.

Excavations at the Seokseongsan Beacon Mound revealed a flat area created on a rocky peak with protective walls built around it, five beacon fire facilities (yeonjo) including hearths and chimneys used to send signals by lighting fires or smoke, as well as building sites equipped with storage and ondol (underfloor heating) facilities.

The unique construction method of the first yeonjo, which involved rock excavation, the square-shaped ritual vessel, and white porcelain ritual objects are evaluated as examples showing the lifestyle and beliefs of the beacon soldiers.

The designation of Yeoncheon Daejeon-ri Mountain Fortress and Yongin Seokseongsan Beacon Mound will be finalized after a one-month public notice period followed by a cultural heritage committee meeting.

Lee Jeong-sik, head of the Cultural Heritage Division of the province, emphasized, "The newly excavated and designated cultural heritage sites are significant as they represent the intense historical battleground of the Three Kingdoms unification war and rare remaining beacon sites. We will continue to preserve, pass down, and enhance the utilization of these cultural assets so that residents can share and empathize with them."