The Wanggung-ri Ruins located in Wanggung-myeon, Iksan-si, Jeonbukteukbyeoljachi-do were established during the reign of Baekje's 30th king, King Mu (600–641), and later transformed into a temple. It is understood as Wanggung, a political, economic, and cultural center during the late Baekje period's Iksan administration, regarded as a secondary capital alongside Sabi (Buyeo). The Baekje royal palace was built on a low hill at the end of a ridge originating from Yonghwa Mountain. Comprehensive excavations since 1989 revealed that the site was constructed as a late Baekje palace, used for a certain period, after which important palace buildings were dismantled and a complex site including a temple with a pagoda, Golden Hall, and lecture hall was established.
Archaeological Site in Wanggung-ri, designated as Historic Site No. 408 on September 17, 1998, has a surface area of 216,862 square meters. The site has various structures and artifacts from Baekje dynasty to unified Silla period. Artifacts were found within the rectangular-shaped fortress site that surrounds Wanggungri Five-story Stone Pagoda, National Treasure No. 289.
The Iksan Wanggung-ri Five-story Stone Pagoda is located about 2 km south of Wanggung-myeon, Iksan-si, Jeollabuk-do, known as the capital during the Mahan period. It features a five-story tower body raised above a single-tiered pedestal. The pedestal had been buried but was dismantled and restored in 1965 to its original form. At the pedestal's corners are octagonal foundation stones acting as pillars, with long rectangular stones interlocked in a zigzag pattern between them, faithfully reproducing the wooden pagoda style in stone. The spaces between the octagonal pillars and rectangular stones were filled with compacted earth, where Baekje period roof tile fragments were discovered. Excavation revealed two pillar carvings in the center of each pedestal side, and relic chambers were found inside the pedestal stone supporting the central pillar and under the first roof stone. Pillar motifs are carved at all four corners of the tower body from the first to fifth stories, with two additional pillar carvings in the middle of each side on the first story. The roof stones are thin and flat underneath, gently turned up at the four corners, with holes for bells. Each roof stone's upper surface has inserted stones to support the tower body. The finial decoration remains atop the fifth roof stone.
The Wanggung Five-story Stone Pagoda is located on a hill about 2 kilometers south of Wanggung-myeon in Iksan, which is believed to have been the capital of the nation during the Mahan Era. The pagoda stands tall at 8.5 meters and was officially designated as a National Treasure. Relics from the Goryeo dynasty that were found inside the pagoda were designated as a National Treasure and are currently housed in the National Museum of Korea. Of the excavated relics, the most famous; the Sarijangeomgu, a magnificent container of Buddha’s Sarira; the green glass Sarira bottle topped with a lotus-shaped stopper; and the Sungeumgeumganggyeongpan, which contains the 19 golden plates of the Diamond Sutra.
Ssangneung is a tomb located in Iksan, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, consisting of two tombs placed side by side along the north-south axis, hence the name Ssangneung. The internal structure is a Baekje late period stone chamber tomb (horizontal stone chamber tomb). The larger northern tomb is called Daewangmyo (Great King’s Tomb), and the smaller southern tomb is called Sowangmyo (Little King’s Tomb). Both tombs are circular tumuli with earthen mounds and no other decoration. When investigated in 1917, the tombs had already been looted, leaving no artifacts. Fortunately, remnants of a wooden coffin were found inside Daewangmyo, allowing accurate restoration. The coffin was slightly wider on the upper side than the bottom, with a rounded lid top. Lotus petal patterns with eight petals were also identified on the coffin handles. These two tombs were excavated in 1917 by Japanese scholar Yatsui Seiitsu, but accurate information was not recorded. Academic excavations aiming to clarify the structure and nature of the tombs were conducted in 2018 (Daewangneung) and 2019 (Sowangneung). The academic excavations confirmed that Daewangneung is a tomb of Baekje royalty from the Sabi period with an earth-packing tumulus technique. Notably, bone fragments previously unknown were discovered at the stone chamber’s end; detailed analysis suggested the bones’ age corresponded closely to King Mu’s death age, supporting that it is King Mu's tomb. While Sowangneung yielded no active materials, its stone chamber size and dignity indicate it is also a royal tomb.
The Iksan Godori Stone Seated Buddha statues are two stone figures standing facing each other across a distance and were designated as Treasure on January 21, 1963. They are represented on trapezoidal stone pillars with faces, hands, and pedestals depicted. These statues are a male and female pair standing about 200 meters apart, facing each other. The body is a trapezoidal stone pillar without curvature; arms are not shown, with hands barely appearing on the abdomen. On their heads, they wear a square, tall crown (冠) topped again by a square hat. The square faces have thin eyes, a short nose, and a small mouth barely expressed, symbolizing a local guardian deity. Their clothing resembling a traditional overcoat is depicted with a few lines without special patterns. The pedestal and the statues are carved from the same stone, with the front slightly chiseled to form a pedestal-like shape. The trapezoidal pillar-like bodies and unrealistic sculptural techniques resemble stone guardian figures of tombs. In the Goryeo period, many large statues with extremely restrained body expression were made, and this Buddha statue is considered one of them. A legend of loving lovers is passed down about the Iksan Godori Stone Seated Buddha statues. According to this legend, the two statues meet in the twelfth month of the lunar calendar to share their feelings for a year and return to their places at the sound of the dawn rooster. The very short necks, with shoulders and faces almost touching, make this form even more beautiful in the context of the lovers' legend.
