Sŏnjuk Bridge is a Koryo-dynasty stone bridge located in

Kaesong Kaesong (, ; ) is a special city in the southern part of North Korea (formerly in North Hwanghae Province), and the capital of Korea during the Taebong kingdom and subsequent Goryeo dynasty. The city is near the Kaesong Industrial Region cl ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

. Built in 1290, it is famous as the place where famed Confucian scholar and statesman

Chŏng Mong-ju Chŏng Mong-ju (, January 13, 1337 – May 4, 1392), also known by his art name P'oŭn (), was a Korean statesman, diplomat, philosopher, poet, calligrapher and reformist of the Goryeo period. He was a major figure of opposition to the transit ...

was assassinated, allegedly on the orders of the

Yi Pang-wŏn Taejong (; 16 May 1367 – 10 May 1422), personal name Yi Pangwŏn (), was the third monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea and the father of Sejong the Great. He was the fifth son of King Taejo, the founder of the dynasty. Before ascending t ...

, son of the first king of the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

Yi Sŏng-gye Taejo (; 4 November 1335 – 27 June 1408), personal name Yi Seong-gye (), later Yi Dan (), was the founder and first monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. After overthrowing the Goryeo dynasty, he ascended to the throne in 1392 and abdi ...

. It is also the bridge on which the forces of Yi Bang-won (later King Taejong) confronted the forces of Yi Bang-gan during the Second Princes' Rebellion. The bridge was closed to all traffic in 1780 and has since been a national monument. It is 8.35m long and 3.36m wide. It was originally named the Sonji Bridge, but was renamed Sonjuk Bridge after the assassination of Chŏng Mong-ju because bamboo grew where he was killed (''juk'' being the Korean word for bamboo).

Assassination of Chŏng Mong-ju

A famously loyal advisor to the king of Goryeo, Chŏng was a staunch political opponent of Yi Sŏng-gye. On his way home after a party held for him by the future king, he was ambushed by five men on the bridge and brutally murdered with an iron hammer. Later canonized as a Korean sage, and revered even by Joseon monarchs, Chŏng's death came to symbolize unwavering loyalty. A brown spot on one of the stones is said to be Chŏng's bloodstain, and to become red when it rains. A famous poem of his ("known as "Song of a Loyal Heart") records his thoughts: ''Even if I may die, die a hundred times,''
''Even if my skeleton may become dust and dirt,''
''And whether my spirit may be there or not,''
''My single-hearted loyalty to my lord will not change.''

Pyochung Pavilion

Built during the Joseon dynasty, this small wooden structure houses two enormous stone stele mounted on the backs of lion-turtles, one erected in 1740 by King

Yeongjo Yeongjo (; 31 October 1694 – 22 April 1776), personal name Yi Geum (), was the 21st monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of King Sukjong by his concubine, Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choe clan. Before asc ...

and the other by King Gojong in 1872. Both commemorate Chŏng Mong-ju's assassination, and praise his loyalty to the Goryeo dynasty.

References

Buildings and structures in Kaesong National Treasures of North Korea World Heritage Sites in North Korea Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong {{NorthKorea-struct-stub

Assassination of Chŏng Mong-ju

Pyochung Pavilion

See also

References