Fenlason - Pineda: Namsan Mountain and The N Seoul Tower

As seen from the Post Exchange . . . only about three miles to the base of the mountain.

Three miles down, only a short walk of about 1/2 mile and then 649 stairs to the base of the tower.

Designation : Historic Site No.10 / Period : 1396 (5th year of King Taejo’s reign)

(From a plaque at the base of the mountain) "This fortress wall was built in 1396 (5th year of King Taejo’s reign) to surround Hanyang (the capital of the Joseon and former name of Seoul). In 1422 (4th year of King Sejong’s reign), the parts built with earth were all replaced with stones, and the walls were heightened by additionally building yeojang (battlement). In 1704 (30th year of King Sukjong’s reign), the weak parts of the wall were reinforced. During the rule of King Yeongjo, chiseong (another battlement) was added to the eastern walls to more easily keep watch for and defend against enemies. The fortress wall was about 18 km in circumference and 12 m in height. The walls linked together the ridges of Bugaksan (Mt.), Inwangsan (Mt.), Namsan (Mt.) and Naksan (Mt.), which surrounded Hanyang.

Though the irregular topography made the walls twisted a little, they erected main gates to the four directions and small gates between them. The four large gates were Heunginjimun in the east, Donuimun in the west, Sungnyemun in the south and Sukcheongmun in the north (renamed Sukjeonmun later).

The four small gates included Honghwamun in the northeast (renamed Heyhwamun later), Gwanghuimun in the southeast, Changuimun in the northwest and Sodeongmun in the southwest (renamed Souimun later). Only Heunginjimun has ongseong (impregnable fortification) at its front. Each part of the fortress wall built successively during the eras of Kings Taejo, Sejong and Sukjong is differ from one another in terms of building methods and stone shapes, showing how the technical procedures used in their construction changed with the times.

With the modem urbanization that accompanied Japanese Colonial Period, the fortress wall and gates were badly damaged. However, efforts to recover their original forms have continued since the liberation in 1945."

"Hanyang was the capital of the Joseon Dynasty throughout its five-century rule, during which time fortress construction techniques continued to develop. At first, the fortress walls were built by simply piling up similar pieces of natural stone from nearby mountains, mortared with mud. During the era of Sejong, dressed rectangular stones were used, with the largest stones arranged at the base and smaller stones in graduated sizes arranged upward. Extensive repairs done after war during the era of Sukjong gave the walls an even more refined appearance: large square stone slabs of uniform size were stacked tightly in neat rows with great care and precision."

I'm pretty sure that the Hilton in the background is from a different era.

There IS a cable car, but what self-respecting Soldier would use it?

Drain grates with STYLE!

The path follows the former route of the wall.

Paikbum Kim Koo's statue.

"Kim Koo was born in 1876 in Haeju, Hwanghae-do. He was the only child of Kim Sun-Yeong, father, and Gwak Nak-Won, mother. From an early age he joined with Donghak. In September 1894, as a leader of the Donghak peasant army, he attacked Haeju Fortress with a motto of Anti-West, Anti-Japanese and Anti-Corruption.

He was sentenced to death for the death of a Japanese first lieutenant in March 1896, but fortunately he was able to save his life due to the Gwangmu Emperor’s special order.

In 1907, he joined Shinminhoe, a secret independence organization of Independence activists. As Japanese oppression became harder because of Samil Independence Movement, he went to Shanghai as an exile and organized the Korean Patriotic Society. He was a key person behind of the heroic deeds of Lee Bong-Chang, Yun Bong-Gil, etc.

He was the president of the Korean Provisional Government. After the restoration of independence, he returned to Korea with key staff of the Korean Provisional Government. He then actively drove movements against the trusteeship over Korea which were resolved at the Moscow Conference of Three Foreign Ministers.

On April 19, 1948, he visited Pyeongyang. He everything he could do to achieve the unification of our nation. On June 26, 1949, however, Ahn Du-Hui, a perpetrator of Gyeonggyojang, shot him to death.

On July 5 his remains were buried in Hyochang Park under people’s funeral. To pay tribute for his great achievement, the Republic of Korea Medal in the Order of Merit for National Foundation was conferred in 1962."