The Korea Heritage Service said on the 24th that it has given prior notice to designate "Gwanghallu in Namwon" as a National Treasure among state-designated cultural heritage.
"Gwanghallu in Namwon" is a large, government-run pavilion that represents the Honam region in the late Joseon period, known as Honam's foremost pavilion (湖南第一樓). Its origin is Gwangtongnu, which eminent early Joseon prime minister Hwang Hui (1300–1452) built while exiled in Namwon, and it was used as a venue for officials' banquets and poetry gatherings. The surrounding lake and three islets (Bongnae, Bangjang, and Yeongju), as well as the Ojak Bridge, were created by Jeolla Province Governor Songgang Jeong Cheol (1502–1593) and Namwon Magistrate Jang Uiguk.
However, after it was lost in the 1597 Japanese invasions of Korea, Namwon Magistrate Shin Gam (1570–1631) rebuilt it in 1626 (the 4th year of King Injo) to its present scale. It underwent several rounds of major repairs thereafter. Related records are clearly preserved in ridgepole inscriptions, commemorative writings, county gazetteers, and modern and contemporary newspaper articles, and it has maintained about 400 years of history without major changes.
Gwanghallu was more than a simple resting place; it was a venue where officials and scholars interacted and created poetry and prose. As an architectural heritage site that served as the setting for the representative Joseon-era pansori and novel "Chunhyangjeon," it also holds cultural-historical value.
Gwanghallu is a large pavilion complex consisting of the main pavilion, the annex pavilion (Yoseongak), and the moon corridor. The main pavilion has a hip-and-gable roof with five bays across the front and four bays on the side, and its frame (架構) is composed of three overlapping beams to secure a wide interior space. The annex pavilion has three bays across the front, two on the side, and a five-purlin hip-and-gable roof, with an ondol-heated room at the center. The moon corridor has one bay across the front, three on the side, and a hip-and-gable roof; it supports the main pavilion and serves as an access stairway. It was built in 1881 (the 18th year of King Gojong).
An official at the Cultural Heritage Administration said, "Gwanghallu in Namwon is a wooden architectural heritage that combines the ornate decoration characteristic of late Joseon wooden architecture with practical elements such as the ondol in the annex pavilion and the stairs of the moon corridor," adding, "Along with its architectural value, it harmonizes with the garden remains of Gwanghallu Garden, designated as a scenic site, to possess outstanding artistic value."