Dokyongsanseong Fortress | Attraction Guide | K-Travel Mate

Dokyongsanseong Fortress, located in Geumbong-ri, Gacheon-myeon, Seongju-gun, sits atop Dokyongsan Peak at 955m elevation, a branch of Sudosan, the main peak of the Sobaek Mountain Range. The fortress has a circumference of 7.7km (height 2.5m, width 1.5m) and contains abundant water sources and wide usable space, designed as a pogyuksik (encircling) mountain fortress for long-term battles. The exact construction date is unknown but is believed to date back 1,500 years to the Seongsan Gaya period. It was discovered during the Japanese invasions of Korea. In 1675 (the first year of King Sukjong of Joseon), Governor Jeong Junghwi renovated the fortress, which then had seven guard posts facing east, west, south, and north; an arched east gate; a water gate; and a south small gate. There were also eastern and western military grain storage facilities that held provisions for Seongju, Hapcheon, and Geochang. During the Japanese occupation, weapons and artifacts such as iron axes, spears, arrows, tridents, saddles, and armor were excavated from the military armory. Starting in 1997, Seongju-gun planned the restoration of the fortress walls, repairing the damaged walls and restoring the arched east gate to its original form. Within the fortress lie scattered sites of government offices and residences. Historical records about Dokyongsanseong come from the 1677 Gyeongsanji compiled by Lee Won-jeong, which notes the deployment of troops from Hapcheon and Geochang and mentions three valleys, a guesthouse, and a military armory inside the fortress, indicating its scale at the time of Jeong Junghwi’s renovation.