Traces of a 1681 Government Office and the Yeonpung Holy Ground Route
Yeonpung Hyangcheong in Yeonpung-myeon, Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, is a government office building from the Joseon period, founded in 1681. After serving as a military police station during the Japanese colonial period and a local police substation after liberation, it was restored to its original form in 1995. It can be visited together with Yeonpung Holy Ground and is generally open free of charge, but the areas accessible inside should be checked separately.
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What was Yeonpung Hyangcheong, built in 1681 during King Sukjong’s reign, used for?
Yeonpung Hyangcheong is a Joseon-period government office building founded in 1681, the 17th year of King Sukjong’s reign. It served as a hyangcheong that assisted the local magistrate and is now designated as a cultural heritage resource of Chungcheongbuk-do. Its designation date is June 24, 1994.
The road-name address listed in Goesan County tourism materials is 44 Jungang-ro, Yeonpung-myeon, Goesan-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, and the lot-number address is 165-1 Sampung-ri, Goesan-myeon, Chungcheongbuk-do. Its cultural heritage management number is No. 0013, the quantity is one building, and the recorded area is 967.0㎡.
A building restored in 1995 after serving as a military police unit, police substation, and Yeonpung Catholic outpost
During the Japanese colonial period, Yeonpung Hyangcheong was used as a military police unit and station, and after liberation it was used as the Yeonpung substation of the Goesan Police Station. From March 1963, it served as the Yeonpung Catholic outpost, and in 1995 it was restored to its original form, giving it its present appearance.
The current owner is the Catholic Church Maintenance Foundation, and the administrator is Yeonpung Cathedral. As Yeonpung Hyangcheong is located together with Yeonpung Sanctuary, visitors can observe the changes from Joseon-era government architecture to a modern religious space in one location.
What to look at first in the five-bay front building with a hipped-and-gabled roof
The building has a five-bay front, a two-bay side, and a double-eaved hipped-and-gabled roof. It is made of timber, and its structure is recorded as a post-and-beam structure with five purlins and a wooden structure. The front of the foundation platform is made with large dressed stones, while the sides and rear use natural stone.
The foundation stones show traces of having been trimmed into square shapes, and round columns were erected on them. The windows and doors are lattice doors, the walls are framed infill walls, and the eaves are double eaves with secondary rafters added above the main rafters. In architectural classification, it is a government office building within the wooden architecture category.
Reading Joseon-era living space through the main hall, ondol rooms, and chimneys
The floor plan consists of a main hall with a well-finished wooden floor. In front of the ondol room on the right is a toenmaru veranda measuring approximately 1.2 m, and the ondol room is arranged as two bays forming one continuous room. Openings on three sides, excluding the right side wall, create a relatively open floor plan.
Fireboxes are located on both sides of the building, and two chimneys stand at the rear, approximately 2 m apart. The chimneys are about 1.2 m high. Rather than viewing only the exterior and passing by, it is better to walk around to the sides and rear to observe the traces of the ondol heating system as well.
The courtyard of Yeonpung Hyangcheong, extending to the gate quarters, well, and pond
At the eastern front is a three-bay gate quarters building with a one-bay side and a gabled roof. A well stands in front of the gate quarters, and a fir tree grows in the middle of the courtyard. This is not a place where visitors should view only one building; the spatial arrangement of the hyangcheong becomes clear when the gate quarters and courtyard layout are considered together.
The pond beside Yeonpung Hyangcheong measures 29×19 m and contains a round artificial island approximately 4.3 m in diameter at its center. The pond is presumed to have been a garden associated with the magistrate’s office. As Yeonpung Hyangcheong is described as a rare surviving hyangcheong building, the entire layout, including the pond and gate quarters, is worth observing.
Actual travel sequence from Dong Seoul to within 152 m of Yeonpung Bus Stop
For public transportation, the recommended route is to take a direct bus from Dong Seoul to Chungju. Direct buses from Dong Seoul to Chungju operate 20 times a day and take approximately 1 hour 50 minutes. From Chungju, the route via Suanbo to Yeonpung operates 15 times a day and takes about 50 minutes.
Yeonpung Bus Stop is 152 m from Yeonpung Hyangcheong, and its stop number is 2800445. A total of eight routes are listed for this stop. Rural bus No. 104 runs between Goesan County’s Goesan Intercity Bus Terminal and Suanbo Intercity Bus Stop, while No. 109 runs between Goesan County’s Goesan Intercity Bus Terminal and Suokjeong. Because bus frequencies are provided by day, allow plenty of time for waiting after transfers.
Free, always-open access and differences from Yeonpung Sanctuary hours
Yeonpung Hyangcheong is listed as always open year-round with free admission. However, the official operating hours, extent of interior access, and any entry restrictions for Yeonpung Hyangcheong itself have not been separately confirmed. Therefore, it is safest to plan a visit focused on the exterior and open areas.
Yeonpung Sanctuary is separately listed as open from 09:30 to 17:30. Advance reservations are required for spring and autumn pilgrimages. The telephone numbers are 043-833-5061 and 043-833-5064. Inquiries about Yeonpung Hyangcheong can be directed to the Goesan County Culture and Arts Team at 043-830-3432, and the official Goesan County tourism website is https://www.goesan.go.kr/tour/index.do.
Restrictions to know before visiting by car
Suggested driving routes are Jungbu Expressway → Jeungpyeong IC → Goesan → Yeonpung → Sampung-ri, or Jungbu Expressway → Iljuk IC → Chungju → Suanbo → Yeonpung → Sampung. Yeonpung Sanctuary is listed as having parking, but the parking fee could not be confirmed.
Information is not provided on whether photography is prohibited at Yeonpung Hyangcheong, whether payment is cash-only, whether English-language information or audio guides are available, wheelchair and stroller accessibility, or the recommended viewing time. Rather than expecting interior access or interpretive services, it is appropriate to travel to 44 Jungang-ro and tour the exterior building, gate quarters, well, fir tree, and pond in that order.
Before You Go
- Address
- 44 Jungang-ro, Yeonpung-myeon, Goesan-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do
- Hours
- Always open. Yeonpung Sanctuary is separately listed as open from 09:30 to 17:30.
- Closed
- Open year-round
- Admission
- Free
- Phone
- 043-830-3432 (Goesan County Culture and Arts Team)
- Official site
- https://www.goesan.go.kr/tour/index.do
- Transport
- Direct buses from Dong Seoul to Chungju: 20 per day, approximately 1 hour 50 minutes; Chungju → Suanbo → Yeonpung: 15 per day, approximately 50 minutes. Nearby Yeonpung Bus Stop is 152 m away, stop number 2800445, with rural buses No. 104 and No. 109 among the listed services.
- Parking
- Yeonpung Sanctuary is listed as having parking. The parking fee could not be confirmed.
The information above is current as of the time of writing. Check official information again before visiting.
Places
Nearby Attractions 2
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Suok WaterfallA place where you can stroll along the valley while enjoying views of a three-tiered waterfall and a pavilion. -
2
Joryeongsan Natural Recreation ForestA place to enjoy walking along lush forest trails and relaxing in nature.
Food & Dining 3
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