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Gyeongju Kim Ancestral House - 경주김씨 지사공 종택 (慶州金氏 知事公 宗宅) (originally 16th century, rebuilt 19th century onward)

This is the head house of one of the collateral clans of the Gyeongju Kim, one of the most important clans in the country with putative ties back to the days of the ancient Silla Kingdom.

The original house is said to have been built sometime during the reign of King Jungjong (1506-44) by a government minister of the Gyeongju Kim. The house was destroyed by bandits in the early 19th century and rebuilt thereafter.

The long, narrow estate is situated on an east-facing hill so that the entire complex receives light almost as soon as the sun rises. This is important since it means the rays of the sun reach into the private domain of the ancestral hall, located at the rear of the house.

There is also a shrine called a 'sindobi' that memorializes Kim Yeon (1552-92), an ancestor who died for the kingdom during the Japanese invasions of 1592-1598.

The current occupant (as of August 2002) is the eldest daughter-in-law of Gyeongju Kim family. She expressed her own desire to one day be enshrined alongside her ancestors in the memorial hall in the rear.

The site is approximately a kilometer northeast of Imgo Seowon. Address: 경북 영천시 임고면 황강리 269 외.

(Designated Cultural Properties Material #373).

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