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Nagan Village Northern Half (built 1614 onward)

Nagan-eupseong is a castle-town near Suncheon city in Jeollanam-do Province. It consists of about 140 thatched-roof houses surrounded by a 1.4 kilometer stone wall. The village is divided into northern and southern halves by a road that bisects the village east-west and penetrates the wall through two gates.

A millennium ago, this was the site of a prosperous farming village. The wall was built for the first time in 1397 to protect the town against the ravages of Japanese pirates that routinely menaced Korea's southern provinces. Just 27 years later, the earthen wall was replaced with a stone one in 1424, when Japanese piracy reached a peak.

Within the fortress, there is room for perhaps a thousand villagers plus several local administrative buildings and shrines. The administrative buildings were either damaged or destroyed long ago and are slowly being replaced by reconstructions.

The entire area has been designated a historical area. Villagers still live in many of the thatched roof houses. Although all areas of the village are open to the public, not all of the village is publicly accessible. For example, few tourists venture into the densely-populated southeast section of the village, where villagers proudly resist the influx of camera-toting tourists. Also, since the individual houses throughout the village are occupied, it is not possible to go inside unless invited. Many of the villagers have capitalized on the potential of tourism and have converted their homes into "minbak" motels. Along the southern section of the main road, there are a number of restaurants and shops selling traditional food and souvenirs.