Abstract

T his paper is fundamental study of eupchi in the Joseon dynasty, examining the state of eupseong, or walled eupseong, from the 15th century, when they originated, to the 19th century. Eupchi were the administrative, military, and economic centers of gunhyeon in Joseon. This paper regards the eupchi as the equivalent of dohoe, or pre-modern urban centers, in Korea. The approximately 330 eupchi established in the early 15th century remained largely unchanged until 1914, despite frequent elevations and demotions of their ranks. Among them, the number of walled eupchi increased from approximately 110 in the 15th century to 132–144 in the 19th century, with a clear national trend of them being located along with the coast. Joseon’s village fortresses were mostly established newly, or renovated or expanded from earthen fortifications into stone fortresses when Goryeo’s chiso fortresses, located in mountainous areas, moved to flatlands during the early Joseon dynasty. The upper and ruling class at the time did not reside in the eupchi, the administrative centers of gunhyeon, which is a unique characteristic of Joseon, distinct from contemporary Europe and East Asia. The modernization of Korea, which began in the late 19th century and continued throughout the first half of the 20th century, brought sweeping changes to society. However, Joseon’s eupchi remained outside this trend. Their transition into modern cities began in the 1970s, largely due to the fact that local leaders did not reside in those regions. Eupseong is attracting attention as tourist attractions as they hint at the landscape of pre-modern cities. Each city and county has been actively conducting restoration projects for the eupchi and eupseong for over 20 years to revitalize its local economy.