P'ungnapt'osŏng
Earthen wall speculated as Baekje's first capital.
P'ungnapt'osŏng is an earthen fortification located along the Han River in what is now Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Its walls, which form a long oval that stretches north to south and tilts slightly east, originally measured about 3.5 kilometers around. Only 2.7 kilometers of the walls remain today; the western section was lost to flooding. The enclosed area covers nearly 859,508 square meters. The inner wall was built by piling sandy soil, grit, clay, and mud at an angle. On top of the final layer, three rows of pebbles were laid, and trimmed stones were stacked inside to a height of 1.5 meters using natural mud. The central part was shaped like a trapezoid, 7 meters wide at the base and 5 meters high. During the Japanese colonial period, researchers suggested that this site might be Hanam Wiryeseong, the first capital of the Baekje kingdom.
- Type
- Earthen fortress
- Location
- Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- Circumference
- 3.5 km
- Remaining walls
- 2.7 km
- Area
- nearly 859,508 m²
- Shape
- Long oval, spreading north and south, leaning slightly east
- Speculated identity
- Hanam Wiryeseong, first capital of Baekje
Lore & Background
P'ungnapt'osŏng is a flat earthen wall built at the edge of the Han River. It used to be included in the neighboring city of Gwangju. Only 2.7 km of its walls remain; including the west wall, which had been destroyed by flooding, its circumference reaches about 3.5 km and its area nearly 859,508 m². After constructing the central part, the inner wall, mainly composed of sandy soil, grit, clayish soil and muddy soil, was set up by heaping earth at a slant. On the top of the last earthen layer of the inner wall, pebbles were laid in three layers and trimmed stones were piled up inside 1.5 m high with mud prepared from natural soil, and by piling up the central part in trapezoid shape whose lower part is 7 m wide and 5 m high.
Reader's Guide
P'ungnapt'osŏng is significant as a major archaeological site in Seoul, South Korea, representing an ancient earthen fortress. Its speculated identification as Hanam Wiryeseong, the first capital of the Baekje kingdom, gives it historical importance for understanding early Korean state formation. The wall's construction technique—using layered sandy soil, grit, clay, and mud, topped with pebbles and trimmed stones—reflects advanced engineering for its time. The fact that only 2.7 km of the original 3.5 km circumference remains, with the west wall destroyed by flooding, highlights the site's vulnerability to natural forces. The long oval shape, spreading north and south and leaning east, is a distinctive feature. The research conducted during the Japanese occupation that led to the speculation about its identity adds a layer of colonial-era historiography. As a physical remnant of Baekje's early capital, P'ungnapt'osŏng offers insights into ancient Korean urban planning and defensive architecture.
Did You Know?
- P'ungnapt'osŏng has a circumference of 3.5 km and a long oval shape spreading north and south, leaning slightly toward the east.
- Only 2.7 km of its walls remain; the west wall was destroyed by flooding.
- The inner wall was built by heaping earth at a slant, using sandy soil, grit, clayish soil, and muddy soil.
- Based on research during the Japanese occupation, it has been speculated to be Hanam Wiryeseong, the first capital of Baekje.
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