Naju-mok Gaeksa Geumseonggwan (Naju)

 office, place with historical importance, inn

Naju-mok Gaeksa Geumseonggwan, built about 1487, are historically significant buildings attesting to the important role Naju played in the Honam (South Jeolla) in the past. As well as in inn for visiting government officials, it served as an office for the governor of the Naju District.

Naju-mok Gaeksa Geumseonggwan is considered a must-see place in Naju for tourists, due to its historic importance. Naju-mok Gaeksa Geumseonggwan was one of the gaeksas (inns), established as government buildings during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties. Behind the buildings there is a massive ginkgo tree that has a dense canopy more than 600 years old.

In recent centuries when Korea was either invaded or colonized by the Japanese, Geumseonggwan came to symbolize the anti-Japanese movement for the people of Naju. During Imjinwaeran (Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592), Kim Cheon-il, a general of the Righteous Armies, gathered troops here for a dispatch ceremony. This is also where a wake was held for Empress Myeongseong following her assassination by the Japanese, which intensified the anti-Japanese sentiments among the citizens of Naju.

Naju-mok Gaeksa Geumseonggwan underwent many changes during the Japanese occupation, transforming it into the Naju District government office. For this reason, that building was completely demolished, and a full restoration project undertaken, from 1976 until 1977, to completely restore Geumseonggwan to its original appearance.

Naju-mok Gaeksa Geumseonggwan is Regional Tangible Cultural Property #2.