Hamokjeong Pavilion, Dalseong

This pavilion was built in 1604 by Yi Jong-mun (1556-1638), a civilian army leader during the Japanese invasions of 1592-1958, to be used as the men’s quarters of a larger residence that consisted of various buildings. After the house’s women’s quarters area burnt down during the Korean War (1950-1952), the men’s quarters came to be used as a pavilion. A building has since been rebuilt on the site of the former women’s quarters. There is also a family shrine behind the women’s quarters.

It is said that King Injo (b. 1595, r. 1623-1649) of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) visited here before he ascended the throne. He later bestowed Yi Jong-mun’s son, the civil official Yi Ji-yeong (1585-1639), some money from his private fund to repair this house. The king also calligraphed the name of this pavilion, so that it could be carved onto a wooden plaque and hung at the front of the building. This name Hamokjeong means "pavilion of the sunset and ibis" and comes from a poem by Wang Bo (649-676) of Tang China that reads, "A lonely ibis flies neatly across the setting sun; The autumn water and distant sky blend together as one color." Hung on the walls inside the pavilion are poems written by scholars who visited here.

The building has a sideways T-shaped layout consisting of a spacious wooden-floored hall that is perpendicular to underfloor-heated rooms. The roof features double-tiered eaves, which was formally reserved only for royal buildings or Buddhist temples, so it is rare to see in an upper-class house. There is also a square pond in front of the pavilion.

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