Imcheonggak

Imcheonggak, located in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province where I served in the past few years, is sacred ground for Korea's independence movement. The traditional hanok building is listed as a national memorial by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

As one of the largest private residences remaining from the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, Imcheonggak has been preserved for more than 500 years.

Imcheonggak was named after a line from a powem by Tao Yuanming: “Climbing the eastern hill, I whistle long / by the clear stream, I compose a poem.”

Imcheonggak will open a history and culture hall in August.

In the grand compound of Imcheonggak, visitors enjoy Gunjajeong pavillion and the four main buildings, including the “Well Room” where several ministers were born. All the buildings in Imcheonggak are arranged in harmony with the surrounding beauty of Yeongnam Mountain and the Nakdong River.

Imcheonggak was first built in 1519 and was restored in 1767. It originally consisted of 99 rooms, but several auxiliary buildings were destroyed during Japanese colonial rule when the Gyeongbu Railway was constructed.

Imcheonggak was home to Seokju Yi Sang-ryong (1858-1932), who, with his family, dedicated himself to Korea's Independence movement.

Instead of yielding to Japanese rule, he crossed into Manchuria, organized the Korean Alliance, established the Shinheung Military Academy to train independence fighters and served as the first state councilor of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.

Upon leaving Korea in 1911, he wrote the following song in memory of his homeland:

“How precious is our land of three thousand li / For five hundred years, we have upheld the scholar’s virtue / What is this so-called civilization that summons cunning foes? / So that in a dream, we suddenly lost our whole nation? / Seeing nets cast upon this land / How could a true man spare his own life? / Oh, hills of my hometown, grieve not and remain in peace / When the age of peace returns, I shall come back to dwell again.”

He fought on the frontlines of the independence movement until he was martyred in Manchuria in 1932. He didn't want his body returned to his homeland until Korea gained its independence.

In his Liberation Day address, marking the 72nd anniversary of Korea’s independence in 2017, former President Moon Jae-in noted that Imcheonggak was “a cradle of the independence movement and a symbol of noblesse oblige.”

The railway in front of the house has been removed, and the track has become a walking path leading to Waryeong Bridge, the longest wooden bridge constructed in 2003. At the end lies the brand new 500-meter-long Woryong tunnel, an experiential media art space.

“Whoever lives the truth comes to the light.” (John 3:21)

The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (Figlie di San Paolo), living and giving the good news to the world by means of social communication. Learn more about the congregation at fsp.pauline.or.kr.