Tomb of General Gwon Yul

This hillside burial ground in Jangheung, Yangju, is the resting place of Gwon Yul (1537–1599), the commander who defeated a Japanese army at Haengjusanseong Fortress during the Imjin War. The general's mound, the graves of his two wives and a set of Joseon-era stone figures sit in a quiet row. There is nothing showy here, but if you have visited Haengjusanseong it is a fitting place to see the last chapter of the story.

A late starter who became a commander

Gwon Yul was the son of Gwon Cheol, who served as chief state councillor, yet he only passed the state examination in 1582, when he was already in his mid-forties. Just before the Imjin War he was magistrate of Uiju, guarding the northern frontier. When the Japanese invaded in 1592 he raised troops in Jeolla Province, fortified Doksanseong and blocked the invaders' advance to the west.

In 1593, hoping to retake Seoul, he moved his forces to Haengjusanseong, where soldiers and civilians together repelled a Japanese force of some 30,000. The Battle of Haengju is counted with Jinju and Hansando as one of the three great victories of the war. He went on to lead the army as commander-in-chief. After his death in 1599 he was posthumously named chief state councillor, and in 1604 he was ranked a first-class Seonmu meritorious subject. Yi Hang-bok, hero of the famous "Oseong and Hanum" stories, was his son-in-law.

What to see

• Sindobi (spirit-path stele): the stele at the entrance records the general's life and descendants. The original inscription had worn away, so his descendants erected a new one in 1861.
• The mounds and stone figures: the general lies in the centre, with his first wife, Lady Jo of Changnyeong, and second wife, Lady Bak of Juksan, on either side. In front stand a tombstone, offering table, incense stone and a pair of child figures; to the sides, civil-official statues and a pair of mangjuseok pillars face each other.
• Family graves: his father, Gwon Cheol, and his elder brother are buried on the same site.
• Shrine house: the jaesil below the tomb is used to prepare ancestral rites and is not open to the public.

The tomb was designated a Gyeonggi Province Monument in 1972, and his descendants still come here to honour him.

How to read the stone figures

Each stone in front of a Joseon aristocrat's tomb has a purpose. The sangseok is a stone table for ritual food and the hyangnoseok holds an incense burner. Dongjaseok are child attendants, muninseok depict civil officials in court robes, and the paired mangjuseok pillars let the grave be spotted from a distance. Gwon Yul made his name as a general, but he entered government by passing the civil examination, so notice that civil-official figures, not military ones, guard his tomb.

Tripto tips

• Visiting: there is no gate or ticket; the site is open 24 hours and free, with a car park.
• Time needed: 20–40 minutes from the stele to the mounds at a gentle pace.
• Getting there: the address is 223 Gwonyul-ro, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju. It is about 10 minutes by car from Songchu IC on the Capital Region First Ring Expressway, so driving is easiest.
• Combine with: see the battlefield at Haengjusanseong in Goyang first and the tomb means much more. The Jangheung valley nearby has plenty of restaurants and cafés.
• Etiquette: the tomb is still cared for by the family. Do not climb on the mounds or the stone figures.