Seosan Guesthouse (Seosan Gaeksa)

About this place

The gaeksa was a local government building of the Joseon period consisting of the main hall, where the local magistrate held rites before a royal spirit tablet, and side rooms used by officials dispatched from the capital or foreign envoys. Seosan Gaeksa was originally located inside the government compound where the city hall now stands. The exact date of its original construction is unknown, but based on the architectural style matching that of the outer east hall and the government gate still standing inside the city hall, it is believed to have been built in the late Joseon period. It was relocated to its current position during the Japanese colonial period. Now facing south, the building stands on a well-dressed granite platform and measures eight bays wide and two bays deep, with a hip-and-gable roof. After its relocation, it served as the Seosan township office, agricultural guidance station, and cultural center before being restored and opened as a tourist site in 1994 following expert verification.