Busan Gijang-gun Hosts International Conference Commemorating 600th Anniversary of Gijang Eupseong Fortress Construction

Clarifying the Archaeological and Historical Value of Gijang Eupseong, Accelerating National Historic Site Designation
Eight Academic Presentations by Fortress Studies Scholars from Korea, China, and Japan

Gijang-gun (Governor Jeong Jong-bok) announced on the 20th that the "Gijang Eupseong International Academic Conference" will be held on the 21st at the Cha-seong Art Hall in the basement of the county office.

This year marks the 600th anniversary of the construction of Gijang Eupseong and the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Gijang-gun. This international academic conference is being promoted to commemorate these milestones and to clarify the archaeological and historical value of Gijang Eupseong in the context of fortress construction during the Joseon Dynasty.

Scholars specializing in fortress studies from Korea, China, and Japan will participate in the conference. Starting with the keynote lecture "The Joseon Dynasty's Defense Policy" by Professor Emeritus Cha Yong-geol of Chungbuk National University, a total of eight academic presentations will follow.

The topics and presenters are as follows: ▲ Characteristics of mountain fortresses and construction methods in the Joseon Dynasty (Shim Gwang-ju, Director of the Korea Fortress Research Institute) ▲ Study on the Ming Dynasty coastal defense system (Shangxing, Associate Researcher at Beijing Archaeological Institute, China) ▲ Gijang Waeseong in the evolution process of Japanese fortresses (Masato Miyatake, Professor at Saga University, Japan) ▲ Construction and functions of eupseong in the Joseon Dynasty (Lee Su-jin, Professor at Dongshin University) ▲ Archaeological study on Gijang Eupseong in the Joseon Dynasty (Lee Il-gap, Director of Sigong Cultural Heritage Research Institute) ▲ Composition and changes of internal spaces of Gijang Eupseong (Kim Chan-young, Director of Gyejeong Cultural Heritage Research Institute) ▲ Defensive historical value of Gijang Eupseong in the pre-modern period (Kim Kang-sik, Professor at Korea Maritime and Ocean University) ▲ Restoration, maintenance, and utilization for realizing the value of Gijang Eupseong (Na Dong-wook, Director of Yeongnam Fortress Research Institute).

In addition, in the afternoon, Choi In-seon, President of the Korean Fortress Society and Professor at Suncheon National University, will serve as the chairperson to lead a comprehensive discussion.

Gijang Eupseong (constructed in 1425) was designated as Busan City Monument No. 40 in 1996. Since the investigation of the East Gate site in 2010, over ten archaeological excavations of buried cultural heritage have been conducted. In particular, through investigations of defensive facilities such as fortress walls, bastions, ramparts, and moats, as well as building sites, it is known as a living open-air museum that reveals the construction methods of coastal eupseong during the Joseon Dynasty. The county also opened the Gijang Modern History Museum within the eupseong site, utilizing it as a space to share the history and culture of Gijang.

Through this international academic conference, the county plans to clarify the value of Gijang Eupseong as an important coastal eupseong on the southeastern coast during the Joseon Dynasty and to accelerate the process of designating it as a national historic site.

Jeong Jong-bok, Governor of Gijang-gun, stated, "Starting with this international academic conference, we will actively lead efforts to raise the historical awareness of residents and protect national heritage by officially advancing the process of designating Gijang Eupseong as a national historic site."

Poster for the 600th Anniversary International Academic Conference Commemorating the Construction of Gijang Eupseong.