A Study on the Literature of Jeongneungsa Temple Site in Pyongyang

Abstract

Jeongneungsa Temple in Pyongyang, North Korea's state-owned No.173, was built during the Goguryeo period. According to an excavation report published by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the temple is the tomb of King Dongmyeong, located in front of it. However, the name and nature of the temple (Nungsa Temple) were confirmed through the literature excavated from the temple site, and it is unclear whether Jeongneungsa Temple was the tomb of King Dongmyeong. An excavation report published in North Korea in 1964 focused on the tomb of King Dongmyeong, and the area around the tomb of King Dongmyeong was considered to be the tomb guarding the tomb of King Dongmyeong. Jeongneungsa Temple is also described as the tomb of King Dongmyeong. In addition, the fact that the scope of the temple is not symmetrical emphasizes its specificity as it is a combination of the temple and the ruins of the palace. This is an obstacle to understanding Jeongneungsa Temple. In this article, I would like to mention the problems of research on Jeongneungsa Temple Site in Pyongyang and suggest the direction of future research on Jeongneungsa Temple Site. First, Jeongneungsa Temple is understood as a tomb group by dividing Dongmyeong Royal Tomb and Jeongneungsa Temple, and Jeongneungsa Temple has the characteristics of Neungsa Temple of the entire Jinpa-ri Ancient Tombs using the concept of family tombs. In addition, I would like to point out that the octagonal flag identified within Jeongneungsa Temple Site is emphasized as a characteristic of Goguryeo, and it is necessary to keep various situations in mind.