Giseonggwan, Geoje

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2158

Category

Architecture

Era

조선시대

Designated year

2021

Location

거제시, 경상남도— 경상남도 거제시 읍내로2길 22 (거제면, 거제기성관)

Coordinates

34.850922, 128.590920Kakao address conversion

This English description was machine-translated and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the original Korean text for details.

The Geonje Giseong-gwan was originally built in 1665 as a guest house for Geoje-hyeon and Geoje-doho-bu (Geoje island province). Following repairs in 1726, 1801, and 1892, it continued its functions until approximately 1909. Subsequently, as the official guest house system was abolished in the early 20th century, it was converted for use as a primary school building. Following partial restoration work, it has been preserved to the present day. In 2007, it was designated as Historic Site No. [X] Geoje-hyeon Government Official Building (Geoje-hyeon Gwan-a) along with the magistrate's office site and other buildings. During the 1974 dismantling and repair work, three ridge-beam inscriptions (sangyanmun) were discovered beneath the central ridge beam along with the original ridge-beam inscription written in ink. These ridge-beam inscriptions and inscriptions provide important clues for tracking the construction circumstances of regional government official buildings in the late Joseon period, particularly noting the involvement of Buddhist-trained craftsmen (seungjangs). The building's abundant pictorial maps and photographic documentation also help reconstruct the original appearance of Giseong-gwan. Architecturally, the structure measures 9 bays on the front and 3 bays on the side, featuring a single-story hip-and-gable roof in rectangular layout. Notably distinctive is the central 3-bay section corresponding to the main hall, where the roof is raised one step higher than the adjacent wing sections, creating the appearance of a protruding roof when viewed from the front. In contrast, the rear section has a unified roof line across all 9 bays front-to-back. This different roof configuration between front and rear is an exceptionally rare architectural example. As a guest house for a southern coastal government office with administrative and military functions, Giseong-gwan is comparable in scale and architectural form to nearby structures such as Sebyeong-gwan in Tongyeong and Jinnam-gwan in Yeosu. Considering the unique roof treatment technique not found elsewhere, and Geoje's historical and cultural standing in the region, Giseong-gwan possesses sufficient value for designation as a national-level heritage (Treasure).

Location