Kim Jwa-geun's Historic House

At the edge of the fields in Naechon-ri, Baeksa-myeon, Icheon, Kim Jwa-geun's Historic House was built by the family of Kim Jwa-geun, a central figure in the Andong Kim clan's domination of late Joseon politics. Tradition says it once ran to 99 kan (bays); today only the main house and an annex remain, and rows of foundation stones from vanished buildings lie in the yard. Standing there, you can read how a powerful family's estate was scattered and what was left behind.

A grave-keeper's house and a country retreat

Kim Jwa-geun (1797–1869) was the younger brother of Queen Sunwon, consort of King Sunjo, and the son of Kim Jo-sun. He served as Chief State Councillor three times and led the Andong Kim ascendancy in its later years.

Kim Jwa-geun himself never lived here. The house was built by his son Kim Byeong-gi (1818–1875) as a lodge for tending his father's grave and as a country retreat. The ridge-beam inscription has not survived, but a record of the fourth year of Tongzhi dates it to 1865. The graves of Kim Jwa-geun and Kim Byeong-gi lay on the hillside behind the house, but they were removed in 2006. The pond in front was once part of the estate too, which gives a sense of its original size.

The scattered 99 kan

Until a few decades ago the house still had a tall raised gate, men's quarters, and a double ring of servants' wings around the inner house, a complete scholar-official estate. The descendants found it too much to maintain and sold buildings off; the men's quarters and servants' wings were being dismantled for removal when the buying company went bankrupt, and the move stopped. In 2009 the house and its land, about 101,500 m², passed to Seoul National University; sources describe this either as a donation by the family or a purchase by the university. The house was listed as Gyeonggi-do Folklore Cultural Heritage in 2003.

What to see

• Main house (anchae): a single straight range under a hipped-and-gabled roof, eight bays wide and two deep. From the west come the kitchen with its loft, three rooms and a storeroom, with a three-bay wooden hall in front of the rooms. Note the folding doors across the hall and the narrow verandas front and back.
• Annex (byeoldang): five bays by two, with a raised one-bay pavilion room added on the right; it served as the inner men's quarters. Its curving eaves are a fine example of the hanok roofline.
• Veranda behind the annex: another building once stood between the main house and the annex, and a boarded corridor linked them so people could pass without stepping into the yard. The corridor is gone, but the narrow veranda wrapping round the back of the annex survives intact.
• Rows of foundation stones: the two lines of stones in the yard mark where the men's quarters and servants' wings stood. The careful finish of plinths, pillars and even lattice work shows the formality of a powerful family's house.

Tripto tips

• How to visit: the house is empty. Do not go inside; look around from the yard and outside.
• Parking: a sign on the access lane bars visitor vehicles, so leave your car by the village road and walk in.
• Time needed: 20–30 minutes is plenty for the house.
• When to go: Baeksa-myeon also has a cornelian cherry (sansuyu) village, so March–April, when the yellow blossoms are out, is a good time to combine the two.
• Getting there: the address is around 222-14 Naechon-ri, Baeksa-myeon, Icheon, Gyeonggi-do. It stands in open farmland, so a car is easiest.