The Administrative center and Spatial Structure of Jungwongyeong

The contemporary concept of the Jungwon Historical and Cultural Area derives from Jungwongyeong, a major regional center established during the Silla Dynasty. Centered on present-day Chungju, Jungwongyeong functioned as a strategic base for Silla’s expansion into the Han River basin and served as the kingdom’s secondary administrative center. As archaeological and historical evidence continues to accumulate, the historical reality of Jungwongyeong has become increasingly well defined. Nevertheless, further research is required to accurately identify the location of its administrative center and to reconstruct the city’s overall spatial structure. Until recently, attempts to identify the administrative center relied primarily on archaeological evidence. In this context, recent studies employing textual sources to delineate the territorial boundaries of Jungwongyeong are particularly significant. When these textual interpretations are synthesized with archaeological findings, the spatial extent of Jungwongyeong is shown to correspond largely with the present administrative boundaries of Chungju City. Current scholarship suggests that the administrative center was initially located in the Tappyeong-ri area of Jungangtap-myeon. Following the Silla–Tang War, however, the center appears to have been relocated to what is now downtown Chungju. This transition is supported by recent archaeological investigations at sites such as the Chungju Sago(National History Archives) Site and the Allim District excavation site. Evidence from the Ruam-ri and Ha-guam-ri tumulus clusters, the Tappyeong-ri site, and newly identified remains in central Chungju indicates that Silla’s political and military presence in the Jungwon region was firmly established by the mid-sixth century. By the late seventh century, a planned urban structure—centered on the area of the present-day Chungju Eupseong(walled town)—had clearly emerged as the administrative core, reflecting the relocation of the governing center from Tappyeong-ri to downtown Chungju. Finally, the identification of Gukwonseong, constructed in 673 CE during the reign of King Munmu, with the present-day Daerimsanseong is well supported. This interpretation is further supported by the broader international geopolitical context of the period, Silla’s heightened defensive posture following unification, and the material characteristics of Unified Silla–period artifacts excavated from the Daerimsanseong site.