Head House of the Uiseong Kim Clan, Andong

This is the head house of the family of Kim Jin (1500-1580), a Confucian scholar of the Joseon period (1392-1910). A head house is a residence passed down among the male successors of a family lineage. Cheonjeon-ri Village, where this house is located, has been a clan village of the Uiseong Kim Clan since the end of 14th century when Kim Man-geun, the grandfather of Kim Jin, first settled in this area.

Kim Jin passed the state examination in 1525 after which he devoted himself to his studies. He built a number of study halls in this village and was a devoted teacher to many young students. Then, his descendants flourished for generations and developed as one of the most renowned prestigious families in this area.

The original head house was destroyed during the Japanese invasions of 1592-1598 and the current house was rebuilt at the end of the 16th century by Kim Seong-il (1538-1593), the fourth son of Kim Jin. It is said to have been built in the style of the head houses of upper-class families in Beijing, after Kim Seong-il had visited Ming China as a royal envoy in 1577.

It consists of a men’s quarters, women’s quarters, servants’ quarters, and shrine. In most houses of this area, the buildings of the women’s quarters and the men’s quarters are on the opposite sides of the inner courtyard, all together arranged in a square layout, but the buildings of this house have unique structure and architectural style. The women’s quarters and the men’s quarters are built side by side, with a courtyard in the middle, while the square layout of the women’s quarters forms its own inner courtyard. The stairs and small entrance between the women’s quarters and the men’s quarters lead to the backyard, where the shrine is located.

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