What to Do in Gongju, Gongju, South Korea

Despite South Korea’s small size, the country has a long and vibrant history with various different kingdoms fighting for their territory on the Peninsula over hundreds of years. One of these warring states was the Kingdom of Baekje with the capital city named Ungjin from AD 475 to 538 before the capital was moved to Sabi (in modern-day Buyeo County). Here’s what to do in Gongju, including all the most important historic attractions!

Before King Seong moved the Baekje capital to Buyeo in 538 AD, his father led the kingdom from Gongju (named Ungjin at the time). The Baekje-era lasted until 660 AD when the alliance between the Korean Shilla and Chinese Tang dynasties together overthrew it. Today, visitors can still explore several Baekje sites and relics in Gongju. The city is very compact and the Baekje sites are very close together, making it a very walkable city.

Tip: If you head to Gongju by car, I recommend first heading to the national museum, which has a large parking lot. From there, you can walk to the Muryeong Tombs passing by the Gongju Hanok Village. Magoksa Temple is further from the center. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).