Geumseonggwan is a symbolic historical building that demonstrates the important role played by Naju in the Honam area back in the day.

From the peak of Geumseongsan Mountain, overlooking the city of Naju, you will notice the large tiled roof of Geumseonggwan and a 600-year-old ginkgo tree located in the heart of the city. Geumseonggwan is considered the No. 1 must-visit place in Naju for tourists due to its fame, size and location in addition to having restaurants nearby that serve the famous Naju gomtang (beef bone soup). This is why Naju tour guides make Geumseonggwan their first stop. Geumseonggwan was one of the gaeksas (inns), established as government buildings in the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties.

In the backyard, you will get to see a massive ginkgo tree with a dense canopy that’s more than 600 years old. In recent centuries when Korea was either invaded or colonized by the Japanese, Geumseonggwan came to symbolize the anti-Japanese movement carried on by the people of Naju. For instance, during Imjinwaeran (Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592), Kim Cheon-il, a general of the Righteous Armies, gathered troops here for a dispatch ceremony, and this is also where a wake was held for Empress Myeongseong following her assassination by the Japanese, which heightened the anti-Japanese sentiments among the people of Naju. Geumseonggwan underwent quite a change in appearance during the Japanese occupation period when the interior was remodeled with a change of windows and floors to be used as the Naju-gun government office. For this reason, the building was completely demolished for a restoration project initiated to restore the original appearance of Geumseonggwan from 1976 until 1977.