National Heritage Administration Announces Designation of Baekje Tomb Cluster.. Attention to Sejong City's First Historic Site

[Financial News]  The National Heritage Administration announced on the 29th that it plans to designate the Baekje tomb cluster located in Hansol-dong, Sejong Special Self-Governing City, as a historic site.
The Hansol-dong Tomb Cluster was discovered during the development of the administrative city. Excavations conducted from 2006 to 2009 revealed several residences and ancient tombs presumed to have been constructed during the Baekje period, which are currently managed as city monuments.
Among the 48 ancient tombs believed to have been built around 475 AD when Baekje moved its capital to Ungjin (now Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do), 7 stone chamber tombs and 7 stone-lined tombs have been restored.
The stone chamber tomb, also known as a horizontal stone chamber tomb, features a stone-built side passage leading to the burial chamber. The stone-lined tomb is characterized by walls made of stone without a passage.
The Hansol-dong Tomb Cluster is considered an important resource for studying Baekje period tombs. In particular, the tomb known as Tomb No. 2 is larger in scale compared to similar stone chamber tombs of the same period, with a long, sloping passage where the burial path entrance stone is placed.
The burial path entrance stone refers to stones arranged at regular intervals in a temporary passage created when placing a body in a stone chamber tomb. The fact that both the passage and burial chamber are underground is a feature rarely seen in existing stone chamber tombs.
The Hansol-dong Tomb Cluster is expected to be designated as Sejong City's first historic site. The academic community anticipates that it will serve as a resource for researching the historical background and value of the Sejong area in the future.
The National Heritage Administration stated, "Along with the nearby Naseong-dong urban ruins and earthen fortifications, the existence of large and elaborate tombs suggests the presence of a local power base in this area."
rsunjun@fnnews.com Yuseonjun Reporter