Designation: Seoul Monument No.14
Period: Chosun Dynasty
Location: 8-1, Yejang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
Namsan Bongsudae is a central beacon to which all the beacons all over the country, and is located on the Mt. Mokmyeok (current Namsan), and called Mokmyeoksan Bongsu, Namsan Bongsu, or Gyeong Bongsu. The beacon system was put in operation to inform the center or the fortresses at the frontline of the emergent occasion on the borderline at the same time inform the resident of the province of taking refugee at the emergency. In case of invasion from the enemy, the system was made to cope with the attack both the soldiers and civilians. The origin of the signal fire supposedly goes back to the era of the Three Nations, yet, what is apparent is from the third year of the king Oejong in Korea dynasty (1149) and also was enforced at Chosun dynasty. In Hansung, the capital city of Chosun, there were five signal fires at Namsan and two at Mooak. The five beacons at Namsan transmitted information from all over the country to the center of the army. The army center, every early morning, reported to the Seongjoenwon that gave reports to the king. If there was any sudden war, it was reported even during the nighttime. The five signal fires at Namsan received from other five branches from all the provinces: the first beacon was Hwamgyeongdo-Gwangwondo-Mt. Acha at Yangjoo; the second, Gyeongsangdo-Chungchungdo- Mt. Chulrimsan at Gwangjoo; the third, Ganggye at Pyeongando-Hwanghaedo- the east beacon at Mooak, Hansung; Oejooo at Pyeongando- Coast of Hwanghaedo- the west beacon of Mooak, Hansung; the fifth, Jeollado-Chungchungdo- Mt. Gaewhasan at Yangchun. There were 673 beacons total in the nation. Wherever the fires were signaled in the country, it was supposed to reach Namsan beacon within 12 hours. The city Seoul began the restoration of the Namsan beacon in 1992 as part of the “Restoration of the Mt. Namsan Movement,” and completed the repair on July 16, 1993. There are five beacons on Namsan originally which are toward the west from the east, and this was one of those that were restored by examining the relevant document “Chunggoodo”.
Untitled Document
Copyright 2003 Jung-gu, Seoul,
Korea All Rights Reserved.
120-1,Yeakwan-dong,Jung-gu,Seoul,Korea
Tel:82-02-2260-1114 Fax:82-02-2260-1121~28
Designation: Seoul Monument No.14
