Kim Woo-young's Gwanggyo Column "Climbing Namhansanseong and Gazing Upon Ihwamun Gate"

'Climbing Namhansanseong and gazing upon Ihwamun Gate / Look, a goshawk has taken flight in the eastern sky / The sunset stretches long, gulls cry and weeping willows droop their branches / Orioles pair off and make their way to this mountain, the call of orioles ringing out / Um um eoheo ya eoheo ya diyeo dungga / Eoheo dungga dungga, this is my beloved'

This is "Namhansanseong," recorded in the 'Collection of Korean Folksongs (New Folksongs)' by Seong Chang-soon, a master vocalist of the National Intangible Cultural Property No. 5 "Simcheong-ga" pansori, who passed away in 2017. To the general public, the song is more widely known through singer Kim Sae-rena than through Master Seong's voice.

Some have raised controversy that the song should properly be called "Namwon-sanseong" rather than "Namhansanseong," as a southern folk song.

"Namwon-sanseong" refers to the Gyorong Fortress in Namwon City, and Ihwamun (梨花門前) refers to a gate of Namwon-sanseong. Furthermore, the claim that this song belongs to a southern folk variety called "Dungga-taryeong" based on the refrain 'dungga' is also convincing.

I was curious about where exactly the 'Ihwamun' mentioned in these lyrics is located, so I looked it up, but found that neither Namhansanseong nor Namwon-sanseong has a gate by that name. There is Gihwa-mun (at Namwon-sanseong) and Jihwa-mun (at Namhansanseong), but not Ihwamun.

Yet what does it matter.

Although I have not visited "Namwon-sanseong (Gyorong Fortress)," whenever I walk along "Namhansanseong," the song 'Climbing Namhansanseong and gazing upon Ihwamun Gate...' naturally flows from my lips.

In any case, the reason I went to Namhansanseong again this time was to accompany the 'Exploring Great Figures and Cultural Heritage of Gyeonggi Province' exploration project of the Hwaseong Research Society (Executive Director Choi Ho-woon).

It is part of the 2026 Gyeonggi Province Cultural Heritage Utilization Project.

Beginning with Namyangju City on June 20 (astronomers, scientists, and scholars of practical learning who illuminated the Joseon Dynasty), followed by Paju City on the 27th (renowned statesmen and upright officials), and then Gwangju City on July 4 (construction of Namhansanseong), we conducted explorations.

Ahead remain Yeoju City on August 29 (footsteps of virtuous rulers and eminent monks), Suwon City on September 5 (meritorious officials in the construction of Hwaseong Fortress), and Yongin City on October 24 (loyal officials of Goryeo and ministers of King Jeongjo).

I did not participate in the exploration program held in June. This was due to circumstances such as my daughter's father-in-law passing away.

Like Hwaseong Fortress, Namhansanseong is truly a fascinating fortress. I have visited it five or six times so far, and it offers different feelings with each season. In particular, my favorite times to visit are first in winter when snow accumulates, and secondly in autumn when the fall colors are magnificent. Of course, spring and summer, full of new foliage and verdant greenery, are also pleasant.

Walking slowly in the rainy summer, listening to the sound of rain and gazing at the mist, also gives a mysterious feeling.

However, after seeing the film "Namhansanseong," an adaptation of Kim Hun's original novel, that place was no longer a beautiful and mysterious location. Of course, I already knew from before that Namhansanseong was a battlefield of the Manchu invasion of Korea (Byeongja Horan) and a historical site where desperate resistance continued amid cold and hunger before the humiliation at Samjeongdo.

But the thrill I felt while watching the film changed my previously somewhat romantic perception.

The exploration began with scenes from the film "Namhansanseong" in mind.

The lecturer was Shim Yun-a, a member of the Hwaseong Research Society. Ms. Shim is a current teacher who gets along well with members without formality and is a popular person.

"I was so worried I couldn't sleep last night."

However, contrary to her self-deprecation, she appeared to have studied extensively before the exploration and delivered the story in an engaging manner, receiving warm applause.

Today's exploration route covered Namhansanseong and the birthplace of Haegong Shin Ik-hee.

Namhansanseong is the only fortress among Korea's over 1,200 mountain fortresses to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Namhansanseong is located on Namhan Mountain, facing Bukhansan Mountain north of Seoul across the Han River. It was a fortress in the south that protected the capital city along with Bukhansan Fortress.

According to records in the 'Goryeosa' (History of Goryeo) and the 'Geography Records of the Sejong Sillok,' Onjo, who founded Baekje and established his capital at Wirasung, moved his capital to Namhansanseong in 6 BCE (the 13th year of King Onjo's reign). However, the 'Namhan Chronicle' denies this, stating that the fortress where Onjo established his capital at that time was Iseongsanseong (二聖山城) below Geumdan Mountain, which is the present-day Gwangjugoeup (廣州古邑).

According to the 'Dongguk Yeoji Seungram,' Gwangju Iljangsan Fortress was newly constructed in 672 CE (the 12th year of King Munmu of Silla) as Jujangsan Fortress. This fortress is Namhansanseong.

The steps of those who participated in the exploration led from Chimgwajeong, through Sueojangdae and Cheongnyang-dang, to the West Gate, the Secret Gate, Yeonju Peak Ongseong, and the North Gate.

Although I have visited these places several times before, the feeling is different each time. Of course, my body's reactions differ too. This means I am getting older.

There is much information about Namhansanseong elsewhere, so I will not provide additional explanation.

However, I must address the figure of Yi Hoe (李晦), whom Shim Yun-a described as the most tragic victim during this exploration.

Yi Hoe was the director of construction on the southeastern side during the construction of Namhansanseong in 1624 (the 2nd year of King Injo's reign). As in the past and present, there are people who cannot bear to see others succeed, so they falsely accused him. The accusation was that he squandered construction funds privately and neglected the work, failing to complete it within the deadline.

There were such incompetent rulers and unworthy officials. Had the court conducted a detailed investigation of the matter, tragedy would not have occurred, but they sentenced him to execution by beheading.

When Yi Hoe's wives heard the news of his execution, they threw themselves into the river and took their own lives. They had been returning from raising construction funds in the three southern provinces to save their husband.

Subsequently, upon reinvestigation, it was revealed that the terrain under his responsibility was so steep that delays in construction were inevitable, and despite this, the fortress walls had been constructed sturdily. He was declared innocent, and a shrine called Cheongnyang-dang was built next to Sueojangdae of Namhansanseong in his memory. Yet how could this restore what was lost? The unjust spirits of him and his family could not be consoled.

Nevertheless, I bowed my head briefly before Cheongnyang-dang.

After completing the exploration of Namhansanseong, I also visited the birthplace of Haegong Shin Ik-hee, whom I greatly respect.

Haegong was an independence activist who went into exile in Shanghai, China following the March 1 Movement and participated in the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. After liberation, he served as Chairman of the Constituent Assembly and contributed to the development of Korean democracy. He was also an educator who established Gwangdong Academy in his hometown and participated in the establishment of Kookmin University (serving as its first president).

He founded the Constitutional Defense Association to oppose the Sasa-o-ip Constitutional Amendment, a scheme through which the Syngman Rhee regime pursued perpetual rule, and even ran as a presidential candidate in 1956 to overturn authoritarian politics. The campaign slogan at that time was the famous "We can't live like this, let's try something new."

He suddenly passed away on a train during an election campaign, shocking citizens who longed for democratization.

Shim Yun-a's characterization of Haegong's entire life was that of an 'independence activist,' an 'educator,' and a 'politician who led the charge for democratization,' and we all nodded vigorously in agreement.

It was hot. In the sweltering heat of midsummer, we walked through the fortress section, dripping with sweat.

Thanks to this, the beer I drank at Mr. H's house after arriving in Suwon was cooler than ever and went down smoothly. I drank too much again.

The next day at lunch, I could not properly eat the roasted duck and duck soup prepared by my daughter and son-in-law, and I heard complaints from my children.