Jukseoru Pavilion, Samcheok

Jukseoru is a pavilion perched on the cliffs of the Osipcheon River, which loops through central Samcheok. Of the Eight Scenic Views of Gwandong praised by Jeong Cheol in his "Gwandong Byeolgok", all the other pavilions overlook the sea; Jukseoru alone overlooks a river. Poets and painters have come here since the Goryeo period, and in December 2023 it was upgraded to a National Treasure together with Yeongnamnu in Miryang. Being in the middle of town, it is an easy stop.

History: from Goryeo to late Joseon

A poem about the view by Kim Geuk-gi (1148–1209), a writer active under King Myeongjong of Goryeo, shows that a pavilion stood here by the 12th century at the latest. There is also a record of Yi Seung-hyu climbing the "west pavilion" to write poetry in 1266. It was first called Seoru and took the name Jukseoru from the late 14th century. The scholar Heo Mok explained that a temple called Jukjangsa lay to the east, and this was the pavilion to its west.

In 1403 the Samcheok magistrate Kim Hyo-son rebuilt it on the old site with a five-bay front. A bay was added on the south side in 1530 and another on the north in 1788, giving it today's hipped-and-gabled form. As a result, the five central bays and the two end bays differ in their columns, ceilings and bracket details. The guesthouse of the Samcheok government office stood immediately to the north, and the site of the old offices survives nearby.

What to see

• Columns on bare rock: Of the 22 columns, 13 stand directly on the uneven natural bedrock and the other nine on rough stone bases. Columns of different lengths fitted to the rock surface are what makes Jukseoru unique.
• Rock floor in the south bay: The added south bay has no wooden floor; the bedrock was left in place, with dressed stone laid only down the middle as a path.
• Name boards: The "Jukseoru" and "Gwandong Jeillu" (First Pavilion of Gwandong) boards on the front are in the hand of magistrate Yi Seong-jo; sources date them to 1710 or 1715. Inside hangs Heo Mok's "Jeilgyejeong" among others. Many boards, including poems by Kings Sukjong and Jeongjo, were lost to Typhoon Sarah in 1959, and 28 remain.
• Osipcheon cliffs: The river's name is said to come from its fifty bends between source and sea. Limestone cliffs and pine woods here were designated the Scenic Site "Jukseoru Pavilion and Osipcheon Stream" in 2007.
• Interior: An open wooden platform without walls or windows. The ceiling mixes exposed rafters with coffered sections, the floor is laid in a grid of short boards, and a railing runs round the edge. The ceilings and brackets change from bay to bay, so look up to spot the different periods.
• Poems: Verses on Jukseoru survive by Kim Geuk-gi of Goryeo, Sim Dong-ro, founder of the Samcheok Sim clan, and the Joseon poet Okbong Yi Won. In 1472 Kim Su-on wrote an account of the repainting of the pavilion.
• Jukseoru in paintings: The oldest known image is in Jeong Seon's "Album of Famous Sites of Gwandong", and Kim Hong-do and Kang Se-hwang also painted it. Finding the same angle from the riverbank is part of the fun.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: March to October 09:00–18:00, November to February 09:00–17:00, open every day, free of charge. There is a car park.
• Photo spots: Both the view down onto the river from the pavilion and the view up at cliff and pavilion from the opposite bank are worth it; the far bank gets the best light in the afternoon.
• Time needed: 40 to 90 minutes for the pavilion and a riverside walk. It is close to Samcheok Station on the Donghae Line and combines well with Hwanseongul Cave or the ocean rail bike in one day.
• Nearby: Walk the adjoining site of the Samcheok government office as well; it makes clear that Jukseoru was a pavilion attached to the local administration.