Phyochung monuments were built by kings of the feudal Joson dynasty praising of Jong Mong Ju (1337-1392)’s fidelity, who was murdered on the Sonjuk Bridge remaining loyal to the Koryo dynasty. These are located in Sonjuk-dong, Kaesong City.
There are two monuments in a pavilion which is fenced round. The eastern fence has a gate on its center.
The two monuments are placed side by side on north-south line; the northern one was ordered to be built by Yong Jo (1725-1776), the 21st king of the feudal Joson dynasty in 1740; the southern one was done by Ko Jong (1864-1907), the 26th king of that dynasty in 1872. Both of them were respectively built on a base stone, tortoise-shaped support, the body and head of monument.
The base stones of Phyochung monuments were made of large stones.
A large granite monolith weighing more than 10t was delicately processed into the tortoise-shaped support. The body of monument was made of black marble and the head of it was made of granite to draw a gable roof. 4 wriggling dragons were symmetrically carved on the lower part. The size of the monuments and the level of the artistic depiction are leading among the old Korean monuments. The poem written by King Yong Jo was carved on the northern monument, telling that the high morality and loyalty of Jong Mong Ju, the state minister of the late Koryo, would be conveyed down through generations along with his fidelity. And the other written by King Ko Jong was carved on the southern monument, telling that his loyalty and fidelity would shine to the sky and enable the morality of Joson to be maintained.
Phyochung monuments are the historic reminder directly related to the political events of the late Koryo, being one of the relics representing the architectural monuments of the feudal Joson dynasty.
