A Study on the Location of Suchang-gun Office During the Unified Silla Dynasty

Wihwa-hyeon was established after King Sinmun’s plan to transfer the capital to Dalgubeol (689) failed during the Unified Silla Dynasty. Later, Suchang-gun (757) with four affiliated prefectures (領縣) in the Daegu region was established and this is deemed to have stabilized Silla’s control of the Daegu region. The fact that no fortress structure, such as earthen rampant, was found around the governing office of Suchang-gun and no large-scale ancient tombs, evidencing the existence of major power during the Three States Period, indicates that Suchang-gun was a local government office used for administrative rule. This is different from existing counties and prefectures that existed around fortresses and indicates that Suchang-gun was the base for local administration that the central government of Silla, not the existing region, had developed anew. According to the examination of the sites from the Unified Silla Dynasty throughout Suseong-gu, Daegu, the whole area of Sang-dong and Jung-dong of Suseong-gu in the east bank of Sincheon Stream is determined as the location of the governing office of Suchang-gun. The analysis of each site revealed a road network along the local topography, uniform zoning of the space, the establishments of government building, temple, warehouse, and production facilities, and the remains of residences of officials related with Suchang-gun around them. Also, it is presumed that the Hoguk Fortification in Choi Chi-won’s 『Octagonal Lantern Shaped Pavilion located in Hoguk Fortification in Suchang-gun』 was located in the hinterland than on the plain area and Namryeong, where the Octagonal Lantern Shaped Pavilion was constructed, was located on the hill, where the beacons of Beobisan Mountain are, in the south of the field, where the Jung-dong and Sang-dong sites of Suseong-gu are located, unlike previous estimations. Lastly, the modes of the sites that have been excavated suggested the area chosen for the transfer of capital to Dalgubeol was not around Dalseong, the central area of the powers of Dalgubeol, but around Sang-dong, Jung-dong, and Suseong-dong (Ha-dong (下洞) under Japanese rule) in Suseong-gu.