E2024-G112

Commemorative Pavilion of Chunghyo-dong: The Village of Loyalty and Filial Devotion

Narrative

The Commemorative Pavilion of Chunghyo-dong was to honor for Kim Deok-ryeong (1567-1596), a leader of a civilian army during the Japanese invasions (1592-1598), his wife Lady Yi, and his brothers Kim Deok-hong (1558-1592) and Kim Deok-bo (1571-1627). During the Joseon period (1392-1910), such commemorative plaques or steles were bestowed by the government to honor a person’s patriotic loyalty, filial devotion, or matrimonial devotion and were meant to be hung on red gates or in pavilions in front of the honored family’s home. The pavilion is designated as a Gwangju Monument for its historical and cultural value.

After Kim Deok-hong was killed in a battle against the Japanese in 1592, Kim Deok-ryeong mobilized a civilian army to prevent a Japanese advance to the Jeolla-do area. He defeated the Japanese army in Geojedo Island in 1594 and the Goseong area in 1595. However, he was falsely accused of being involved in the rebellion in 1596 and died from harsh torture in jail. In 1661, his honor was posthumously reinstated and, in 1678, he was commemorated at Byeokjinseowon Confucian Academy in Gwangju. Kim Deok-ryeong’s wife, Lady Yi, is also honored for sacrificing her life to protect her chastity when she was chased by the Japanese army in 1597. Kim Deok-bo, the youngest of the Kim brothers, was also a member of the local civilian army during the war. However, after losing his two brothers, he returned to his hometown of Gwangju and continued his family lineage. Even after the war ended, he refused to serve official posts and lived in retirement. He went on to establish Pungamjeong Pavilion in honor of his brothers. In 1785, King Jeongjo (r. 1776-1800) bestowed Kim Deok-ryeong with the posthumous title of Chungjang (忠將), meaning “Loyal Commander,” in recognition of his loyalty. Chungjang-ro Street is named after him.

In 1788, the king also renamed the Kim family’s hometown as “Chunghyo-dong,” meaning “a village of loyalty and filial piety,” to honor their faithfulness and filial devotion. By a royal order, a commemorative stele was erected in the following year, and the pavilion housing the stele was first built in 1792. Also located in Chunghyo-dong are Chwigajeong Pavilion and Chungjangsa Shrine, which also honor Kim Deok-ryeong.

Story Map

• Sacred Foundations: Confucian Legacy and Traditional Governance
  • Gwangjueupseong Walled Town: The Administrative Heart of Gwangju
  • Gwangjuhyanggyo Local Confucian School: Confucian Veneration and Elite Education
  • Commemorative Pavilion of the Jangheung Go Clan: Three Generations of the Three Confucian Virtues
  • Commemorative Pavilion of Chunghyo-dong: The Village of Loyalty and Filial Devotion
  • Buyongjeong Pavilion and the Gwangju Village Code
  • Yi Seon-je’s Shrine in Perpetuity: Remembering Outstanding Virtue
  • Wolbongseowon Confucian Academy: Repository of the Four-Seven Debate