The late Joseon Dynasty was a time of war. The Confucian ideal state dreamed up by the scholars was swaying like a lantern before the wind due to constant warfare. Eventually, the scholars drew their swords, and the common people abandoned their farming tools and took up weapons. To realize their ideals, they first had to defend and protect their villages and fortress. Meet our fortress that they defended during that time.

First up is Jinjuseong, a stone fortress built in the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods. Famous for the legend of Nongae, Jinju Fortress was a military stronghold and the site of a fierce battle against the Japanese during the Imjin War.
Jinju Fortress, especially with the Nam River flowing in front of the Fortress and the gorgeous scenery around it, was often painted in the period around the 19th century. Defending this beautiful Fortress was the first step in defending Honam, defending the country, and eventually defending one's ideal home during the Imjin War, so the Battle of Jinju Fortress was bound to be one of the fiercest battles during the Imjin War. This 10panel folding screen painting at Songam is one of the 18 remaining pieces.

Pyongyang Fortress is a castle that has been with our history for so long that there is a theory that it has existed since the time of Gojoseon. During the Imjin War, the Fortress was captured by a large army of Japanese soldiers, but was later recaptured by the Joseon-Myeong alliance after a half-year siege.

The earliest map of Pyeongyang Fortress in the late Joseon Dynasty is located here at the Songam Art Museum. This painting brilliantly reproduces Pyongyang, the capital of history, the center of national defense and diplomacy, and a resource-rich country where trade and commerce flourished, with delicate strokes on a large eight-sided folding screen. In an era before photography, this delicate painting is a precious record that vividly meets the scenery of the city at the time.