[War & Business] The Origin of Yongsan

The Yongsan Governor-General's Residence of the Government-General of Korea, completed in April 1910 during the Japanese colonial period. [Image source=Seoul City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Not only in Seoul but also across the country, there are countless places named ‘Yongsan (龍山).’ This is because the name was conventionally given to areas known for their topography resembling the shape of a dragon according to feng shui or places where kings had traveled.

Among these, the origin of the name Yongsan-gu in Seoul is estimated to be at least 900 years old. In 1102, during the reign of King Sukjong, the 15th ruler of the Goryeo Dynasty, the Seowoon-gwan, the government office in charge of feng shui at the time, argued that the capital should be moved from Kaesong to the Hanyang area, and Yongsan was reportedly one of the candidate sites.

Feng shui scholars at the time claimed that the terrain of Yongsan resembled the head of a dragon, making it suitable for building a palace. However, regardless of feng shui, Yongsan was already an important area back then. During the Goryeo period, Yongsan was a hill area about 90 meters above sea level connected to the ridge of Namsan Mountain, located on a major transportation route linking northern Hanyang and southern regions, making it a strategic military point since the Three Kingdoms period.

As a result, after the Goryeo dynasty became subordinate to the Mongol Empire in 1259, Mongol troops are said to have been stationed there for a long time. The Mongol army, preparing for invasions of Goryeo and Japan, established a command post around Andong in North Gyeongsang Province and is believed to have set up a base here to monitor supplies moving from Kaesong to Andong.

Consequently, Goryeo kings also traveled to Yongsan to meet with Mongol generals. It is recorded that King Chungsuk, the 27th king of Goryeo, stayed in the Yongsan area with his queen, Princess Joguk, and gave birth to a prince there, who was called ‘Yongsan Wonja (龍山元子).’ With the birth of the prince, the local people began to call the area ‘the place where the dragon was born.’

Yongsan reemerged as a significant site in Korean history starting from the Imo Incident in 1882. At that time, the Qing Dynasty troops were stationed there under the pretext of suppressing the Imo Incident, and later, during the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese Army’s Chosun Garrison Command was established, marking a painful chapter in history. The residences of the Japanese Governor-General of Korea and the commander of the Chosun Garrison were both located in Yongsan. After Japan’s defeat, it became a U.S. military base.

The reason foreign troops stationed on the Korean Peninsula all stayed in Yongsan was that it was a critical choke point for Hanyang, the capital of Joseon. At that time, Yongsan housed the Gunjagam, the government office where military supplies entering Hanyang were gathered, making it the central hub for all military provisions. For this reason, both Qing forces and the Japanese established their garrison bases there.

Overcoming this history of glory and humiliation, Yongsan now awaits the opening of a new chapter as the undisputed center of Korean politics. It is hoped that this land will lead Korea’s new development, transcending the painful history of national subjugation and foreign military occupation.