Pohang Yeogang Yi Clan Daljeon Jesa named National Folk Heritage

The Korea Heritage Service has designated the Pohang Yeogang Yi Clan Daljeon Jesa as a National Folk Heritage. Located in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, the site was established to manage the graves and perform ancestral rites for the family of Yi Eon-jeok (1491–1553), a prominent Neo-Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty.

The site is historically significant for demonstrating the evolution of Confucian ritual spaces. It originated as a small hermitage where Buddhist monks resided to protect the graves, later expanding through various additions in 1754 to become a formal ritual facility. The architecture features a characteristic ‘ㅁ-shaped’ layout typical of northern Gyeongsangbuk-do and retains structural elements from its early period, such as the Inbeopdang structure used for housing Buddhist statues.

The complex includes the ritual hall, a stele erected in 1586, and Myowito (land for managing ritual expenses), forming a cohesive layout representative of late Joseon ritual spaces. The Yeogang Yi clan continues to maintain traditional rites and ceremonies at the site today.