City to Promote 'Honorary Road Name' to Commemorate Victory in the Great Mongol Resistance
Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 10th that it will assign honorary road names to certain roads in Namsa-eup, Cheoin-gu, to honor the figures who led the victory in the Battle of Cheoin Fortress during the Goryeo Dynasty's resistance against the Mongol invasions. Honorary road names are not used as official legal addresses but are designated to commemorate historical figures.
The areas designated for honorary road names are around Cheoin Fortress, where General Kim Yun-hu, who defended the country during the Mongol invasions, and the residents of Cheoin Bugok won the battle. The city plans to assign the honorary road name "Kim Yun-hu Seungjang-ro" to a section of about 13 km from 386-7 Bongmyeong-ri, Namsa-eup to 203-6 Seori, Idong-eup, centered on San 43, Agok-ri, Namsa-eup, and "Cheoin Bugokmin-gil" to a section of about 1.1 km from 59 to 667 Agok-ri, Namsa-eup.
The city explained that this honorary road naming initiative was decided after Mayor Lee Sang-il reviewed suggestions made during a meeting in June between the 'Yongin Buddhist Temple Association' and the 'Yongin Buddhist Followers Association.' The city plans to finalize "Kim Yun-hu Seungjang-ro" and "Cheoin Bugokmin-gil" as Yongin's first honorary road names after reflecting citizens' opinions by the end of this month and undergoing deliberation by the 'Address Information Committee.'
The Battle of Cheoin Fortress in 1232 was a fierce confrontation where General Kim Yun-hu and the Bugok residents fought against the Mongol army that had moved south to Yongin, threatening King Gojong of Goryeo, who had relocated the capital to Ganghwa Island to escape the Mongol forces. Kim Yun-hu killed the enemy commander Salitai with an arrow, and the Mongol army, having lost their leader, retreated, allowing Goryeo to overcome the crisis. Subsequently, the Goryeo dynasty elevated Cheoin Bugok to Cheoin-hyeon (county).
Cheoin Fortress and Cheoin-hyeon, which won the battle, became the origin of present-day Cheoin-gu, Yongin City. Records show that during the reign of King Taejong of Joseon in 1413, the names Yonggu-hyeon and Cheoin-hyeon were combined to create the place name "Yongin." Cheoin Fortress in Agok-ri, Namsa-myeon, was designated as Gyeonggi Province Monument No. 44 in 1977.
Mayor Lee said, "We plan to continue assigning honorary road names utilizing local historical figures such as An Hong-guk, who is regarded as the Yi Sun-sin of Yongin, and Lee Sajudang, who documented experiences of prenatal education, as well as cultural assets like Simgok Seowon and the stele of Chae Jegong's brain monument."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
