Mireukjeon Hall of Geumsansa Temple, Gimje

Mireukjeon is a Buddhist worship hall enshrining a statue of Maitreya, the future Buddha. It is also the main hall of Geumsansa Temple.

It is said that when Monk Jinpyo expanded this temple in 766, he built a worship hall to enshrine an enormous statue of Maitreya. However, during the Japanese invasions of 1592-1598, the Japanese completely destroyed this hall and the statue by fire.

The current building was built in 1635 and has since undergone several repairs. From the outside, the hall looks like it has three floors, but inside, it is actually only one open space. Under each layer of the roof, there are several complex brackets, which support the roof’s weight. Under each corner of the roof, there are additional support pillars. This building hascome to be a symbol of Geumsansa Temple and the worship of Maitreya in Korea.

Inside the hall, there is a statue of Maitreya in the center with an attendant bodhisattva on each side. This triad was originally made around the time of the building’s construction. However, in 1934, there was a small fire which resulted in the original Maitreya statue falling over and breaking. The current Maitreya statue, which measures 12 m in height, was made in 1936 by sculptor Kim Bok-jin (1901-1940).

Behind the statues, there is a bronze lotus-shaped pedestal atop which the original Maitreya statue once stood. It is unknown when it was made. Overtime, the details of the lotus flower design became worn down, leaving only an overall bowl shape. It is said that if someone makes a wish while touching the pedestal, it will be granted by Maitreya.

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08