Gangwon Gamyeong Provincial Office

On Wonil-ro in the old centre of Wonju, a two-storey gate with red pillars stands right beside the traffic. This is Pojeongnu, the main gate of Gangwon Gamyeong, the office from which a royal governor ran the whole of Gangwon Province for roughly 500 years during the Joseon Dynasty. Behind it lie the governor's hall, Seonhwadang, and a back garden of ponds and pavilions, one of the most complete restorations of a provincial office anywhere in Korea. Entry is free and the grounds stay open until 22:00, so it works well as an evening stroll.

When Wonju ran the province

In 1395, the fourth year of King Taejo, the eastern and western halves of the region were joined into Gangwon Province, and the governor's seat was placed in Wonju. The province's name itself combines the first syllables of Gangneung and Wonju. From here the governor oversaw 26 counties and districts until 1895, when the eight-province system was abolished. In today's terms, this was the provincial government building.

After 1895 the compound housed the headquarters of the Wonju garrison (from 1896) and, once that unit was disbanded in 1907, the Wonju county office. Most buildings were lost during Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War; only Seonhwadang, Pojeongnu and the governor's family quarters survived. Sources put the original number of buildings at either 31 or around 40.

Bringing the compound back

Restoration began in 2000, and the site became a national Historic Site in 2002. Excavations found the foundations of the middle and inner gates, the stone path from Pojeongnu to Seonhwadang, wall and corridor foundations, and the stone embankment of the pond behind the hall. In 2011 the Wonju post office building behind Seonhwadang was demolished, and by 2018 the back garden, with its pond and pavilions, had been rebuilt. Seonhwadang was upgraded to a national Treasure in 2021 for showing so clearly how a governor's office was laid out.

What to see

• Pojeongnu: the main gate, with a passage below and a pavilion above. Seen from across the street, it gives the best first impression of the compound.
• Seonhwadang: the governor's main hall. It sits low on a wide yard, so you can look in from outside and see the figure of a governor at work.
• Back garden: pavilions such as Gwanpunggak and Bongnaegak stand on and around a square pond, linked by stone bridges. A protected zelkova tree said to be about 600 years old grows here too.
• Kim Geum-won sculpture: a tribute to the Wonju-born woman who travelled to the Diamond Mountains and beyond in the late Joseon period, disguised as a man, and wrote an account of her journeys.
• Gangwon Gamyeong history hall: in the side building, with excavated finds and documents about how the office worked.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: 30 minutes to an hour is plenty. Dusk, when the garden pavilions are lit, is the nicest time.
• Opening: daily 09:00–22:00, no closing days, free entry. Volunteer heritage guides are on site during the day (roughly 10:00–16:30), and groups can book a guided tour in advance.
• Events: in autumn there is a night-opening festival, and in October the Gangwon Gamyeong Festival, when you swap cash for replica old coins to buy food and souvenirs inside. Dates change each year, so check Wonju City's announcements.
• Getting there: the address is 85 Wonil-ro, Wonju. From KTX Wonju Station or Wonju Bus Terminal, take a city bus or taxi; there is a car park on site. Wonju's Jungang Market and Jayu Market are within walking distance, handy for lunch.