Munchang Seowon

About this place

Munchang Seowon is located within the Okgu Hyanggyo compound. It is a three-bay-wide building enclosed by a wall facing Jacheomdae. This shrine is dedicated to Choe Chiwon, who climbed up Jacheomdae and read books there to ease his worries and concerns when he returned from the Tang dynasty and found the world in disarray and human nature corrupt. The seowon is named after his posthumous title 'Munchang Hu (Munchang Marquis).' The current 'Munchang Seowon' plaque is said to have been written by President Park Chung-hee in the year Sinhai. Munchang Seowon was built during the reign of King Sukjong, demolished in 1868, and rebuilt in recent times. The architectural value of the seowon building itself is not high. However, it uses the posthumous title 'Munchang Hu' as the seowon name, holding significance as one of several heritage sites in Gunsan related to Choe Chiwon.