Hyangdan House in Yangdong, Gyeongju

Hyangdan House was built in 1543 when Yi Eon-jeok (1491-1553), a civil official and one of the most prominent Confucian scholars of the Joseon period, was appointed as governor of Gyeongsang-do Province. King Jungjong, the 11th ruler of the Joseon dynasty, bestowed this house to Yi Eon-jeok so that he could take care of his sick mother. A year later, Yi was appointed as mayor of Hanseong-bu (today’s Seoul), and his younger brother Yi Eon-gwal (1494-1553) lived in this house with their mother.

This house consists of a women’s quarters, a men’s quarters, and a servants’ quarters. However, unlike most traditional Korean upper-class houses, these quarters are all a part of one large building, rather than being independent structures.

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