Samgunbu

The Samgunbu, or ‘Three Armies Command’, was a government office established in the early Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). It functioned as a military administration and command organ. Officially, it was named Uiheung Samgunbu. Uiheung can be translated as ‘righteous revival’ or ‘flourishing of justice’, so a translation of the full name might be ‘Righteously Revived Three Armies Command’, or perhaps ‘Office of the Righteous Revival of the Three Armies’. This name was probably selected as an evolution of noble ideals under the new Joseon regime, specifically the revival of a ‘just and righteous’ military.

After King Sejo became the 7th monarch through a coup in 1455, he moved to consolidate control of the military. He created the Owi (‘Five Guards’) as a professional capital defense corps. The Samgunbu’s command function was assigned to this new unit and the Ministry of War took over its administrative function. The Samgunbu may have continued in a symbolic role for a time, but it remained largely inactive over the next four centuries. During times of foreign threat, scholars and officials discussed reactivating the Samgunbu, but control of the military remained with other institutions.

In 1864, King Gojong ascended to the throne at the age of 11 or 12. As he was too young to rule, his father took on the role of regent with the title Heungseon Daewongun (‘Prince of the Great Court from Heungseon’). The Daewongun was determined to strengthen the Joseon military. To that end, he re-established the Samgunbu in 1865.

In 1868, three new buildings were constructed on the site where the original Samgunbu’s buildings once stood. At the time, it was the location of the Ministry of Rites. Today, it’s the site of the Government Complex Seoul. The buildings were called Chongmudang, Cheongheondang, and Deogeuidang.

Chongmudang translates as ‘General Affairs Hall’. This was the main hall of the complex and most likely where the bulk of the day-to-day operations of the Samgunbu took place. Cheongheondang, the ‘Hall of Pure Law’ or ‘Hall of Just Principles’, probably served a judicial or oversight role, potentially dealing with legal or disciplinary matters relating to the military. Deoguidang, ‘Hall of Virtue and Righteousness’, seems to have been a ceremonial space, possibly used for meetings, moral instruction, or potentially even records management.

King Gojong abolished the Samgunbu in 1880. The buildings continued to be used for different military purposes. Their last known use was as the headquarters of the Japanese Imperial Army’s Infantry Command from 1910 to 1926. There’s no record of how or if the buildings were used beyond this date. They may have fallen into disrepair.

Chongmudang was relocated in 1930 to a site that is now in the Samseon Children’s Imagination Park in Samseon-dong, about 3km northeast of its original location. In 1967, Cheonheondang was relocated to the Korea Military Academy in northeastern Seoul during the Park Chung Hee administration. The Deogeuidang disappeared at some point before then. It may have been lost during an attempted relocation but was most likely destroyed or demolished.

Mike from Korea References