Bonghwangdang

The single-story structure with its wide, tiled roof sits quietly near the great burial mounds of Gyeongju. This building functioned as the administrative headquarters for the local government during the Joseon Dynasty. Inside these walls, officials managed regional affairs and hosted visiting dignitaries. When the Japanese colonial authorities dismantled many traditional government offices in the early twentieth century, they spared this building. It remained standing because it served as a school for local children for several decades after its administrative life ended.