Pungnammun Gate, Jeonju

Pungnammun Gate was the south gate of Jeonjueupseong Walled Town where the Jeollagamyeong Provincial Office was located during the Joseon period (1392-1910).

Jeonjueupseong Walled Town is presumed to have been built during the late period of the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392), but was destroyed during the Japanese invasion in 1597. It was significantly reconstructed in 1734, but a huge fire burnt down the south and west gates in 1767. They were rebuilt the following year, and the south gate was given the name “Pungnammun” by the provincial governor Hong Nak-in (1729-1777).

The name “Pungnammun” means “the south gate of Pung.” Jeonju was nicknamed Pung, after the Chinese city of Feng, which is the hometown of the founder of the Chinese Han dynasty. This reveals the sinocentric worldview at that time creating a parallel between Feng and Jeonju, for the ancestors of the founder of the Joseon dynasty were from Jeonju.

Originally, there were four gates in each direction around the walled town, but the other three were demolished during urban development in the early 20th century.

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