Gukcheongsa Temple (Busan)

Geumjeongsan Fortress was originally established as a grotto during the Silla period by Yi Sang-sa, and was later reconstructed in 1692 during the Joseon Sukjong era as Geumjeongsanseong Fortress, and thereafter renamed Geumjeongsanseong Fortress. According to the Geumjeongsanseong Fortress Record (Guk-Myeong-sa Ji), "Geumjeongsanseong Fortress houses hundreds of ancestral figures such as Dongnae Bosa Song Sang-hyeon, Busanjin Chansha Jeong Bok, Dadaepojin Chansha Yoon Hyeong-sin, and others, including Seung-hong, Jeong-an, Seong-gwan, and Gwan-chal, who are honored and venerated through rituals." This suggests that Geumjeongsanseong Fortress may have already served as a military base for the Yimjin War. In 1703, when Geumjeongsanseong Fortress was rebuilt, Geumjeongsanseong Fortress and Haemo Temple (Haemo-sa) were constructed. Geumjeongsanseong Fortress has undergone several renovations in recent years. In 1978, the Samsung Tower was built, and in 1982, the Seong-ryeong Chae-bong and Hye-seong constructed a three-story stone pagoda at the center of a pond within the temple grounds. In 1992, the Daewongjeon was built, in 1998 the Yoseon was constructed, and in 2010 the Iljumun was erected. Geumjeongsanseong Fortress houses a bronze seal used by Joseon-era Seong-bongjangs, which confirms that Geumjeongsanseong Fortress was the central base of the Seonggun. Both Geumjeongsanseong Fortress and Haemo Temple were national defense temples that protected the fortress, and Geumjeongsanseong Fortress housed Seong-bongjangs who defended the fortress, indicating that it served as the headquarters of the Seonggun.