[Editor's Note] Seoul is not just a space but a vast human geography layered with history, people, power, wealth, myths, and feng shui. Starting today, Jo Han-kyu, a philosophy professor at the University of Caroline in the U.S. and former president of the Segye Ilbo, will unveil hidden stories of Seoul that the 2030 generation should know in the Aju Economy Newspaper. From Insubong and the peaks of Yeongbong and Namsan to the stone Buddha of Inwangsan and the Seon Rock, as well as the rocks imbued with royal energy, auspicious sites for wealth, and spaces for success and achievement, he will present a new human geography of Seoul that transcends traditional cultural explorations, navigating through feng shui, classical texts, and historical accounts in the AI era.
① Insubong is the Great Rock Face.
Seoul's main mountain, Samgaksan, was first ascended by historical figures Biryu and Onjo. The 'Samguk Sagi' refers to this mountain as 'Buaak (負兒嶽)' in the 'Baekje Annals, Volume 1':
“When Jumong was in Bukbuyeo, his son came and became the crown prince. Fearing that Biryu and Onjo would be accepted by the crown prince, they eventually went south with ten ministers, including Ogan and Mallyeo, and many people followed them. They finally reached Hansan and ascended Buaak, looking for a livable place.”
From the Goryeo Dynasty, the name Samgaksan began to be used. The three peaks—Baegundae (白雲臺, 836.5m), Insubong (仁壽峰, 810.5m), and Mangyeongdae (萬景臺, 799.5m)—form a trident shape, hence the name 'Samgaksan (三角山)'. During the Joseon Dynasty, this was the most widely used official name for state rituals and in civilian contexts. However, after the construction of 'Bukhansanseong' north of the Han River during the reign of King Sukjong, the name 'Bukhansan (北漢山)' was adopted, meaning 'the mountain that embraces the fortress'.
The name Bukhansan began to be predominantly used in reports and administrative maps created by Japanese colonial historian Imanishi Ryu in 1917, replacing the name Samgaksan, which had been in use for a millennium. The Japanese even incorporated part of Samgaksan into Gyeonggi Province, resulting in Baegundae now belonging to Gyeonggi Province. This was a malicious attempt to undermine the national spirit associated with Samgaksan.
After liberation, both Samgaksan and Bukhansan were used interchangeably. However, in 1983, the Chun Doo-hwan government unexpectedly designated the Samgaksan area as 'Bukhansan National Park', leading to the exclusive use of the name Bukhansan. Since then, the name Samgaksan has disappeared from media, publications, and educational materials. This was a tragedy born from the ignorance of a military regime lacking historical awareness. The area should have been named 'Samgaksan National Park'. Therefore, in this article, the name Samgaksan will be used. If we were to assign a human geography meaning to Samgaksan, it could also be called 'Samjaesan (三才山)', as the three peaks correspond to heaven, earth, and humanity. The three peak names indicate that Baegundae represents 'Heaven', Mangyeongdae represents 'Earth', and Insubong represents 'Human'. Baegundae means 'a flat rock where white clouds linger'. Just like Baengdu Mountain's Baegunbong, 'Baek (白)' symbolizes the sky (Heaven). Our people are referred to as 'Baekui Minjok (白衣民族)', which means 'the heavenly descendants'. Thus, Baegundae is 'the mountain of heaven'.
Mangyeongdae means 'the place where one can see myriad outstanding views on the ground' (Earth). In fact, the view from here is the best on Samgaksan. This is also why Samgaksan was designated as the 10th scenic spot in South Korea. The founding of Doseonsa Temple by National Master Doseon at the foot of Mangyeongdae is not unrelated to this. It can be interpreted as applying the 'Human follows Earth' philosophy from the 'Dao De Jing'.
The 'Samguk Sagi' records Samgaksan as 'Buaak' because Baegundae resembles a 'child' (Human) carrying Insubong, which has a shape resembling a 'great rock face'. Furthermore, the term 'Insu' originally referred to 'Insu (人獸)', meaning 'a beast-like person'. However, due to its negative connotation, it was changed to 'Insubong (仁壽峰)', derived from the 'Analects' where 'the benevolent person lives long' (仁者壽). Nevertheless, above all, Insubong resembles a 'great rock face', thus corresponding to 'Human'. Therefore, the name 'Samjaesan' is closer to its true name than 'Samgaksan'.
Every morning, I go up to the rooftop of my home in Banghak-dong to view Samgaksan. I can also see Dobongsan, Suraksan, Bulamsan, and Yongmasan. One morning, the appearance of Insubong struck me anew. Oh! It looks like a person! When I zoomed in with my phone camera, the 'great rock face' was unmistakable. That night, I went back to the rooftop and looked at the sky. Fortunately, the stars were pouring down. I found Polaris shining above Dobongsan. I then felt certain that the eyes of Insubong's great rock face were looking at Polaris. In that moment, many thoughts about Samgaksan, Dobongsan, and Polaris flashed through my mind.
In the 'Samguk Sagi, Volume 24, Baekje Annals 2', it is recorded in the 26th year of King Geunchogo of Baekje (371) that “the capital was moved to Hansan (移都漢山)”. Scholars generally consider this Hansan to refer to Samgaksan. Of course, Hansu refers to the current Han River. Here, 'Han' does not refer to the Han Dynasty of China. 'Han' refers to the Milky Way (銀河水). For example, the 'Han' in Hallasan (한라산) means 'Milky Way', and '라' means 'to pull'. Thus, Hallasan means 'the mountain that pulls the Milky Way'. It is a mountain that contains the energy of the Milky Way. Similarly, the 'Han' in Han River also refers to the Milky Way. Therefore, Han River means 'a river resembling the Milky Way' or 'a river like the Milky Way'. 'Hanyang (漢陽)' also means 'a sunny place with the energy of the Milky Way (auspicious site)'. 'Hanseong (漢城)' means 'the city of the Milky Way'.
So why are names like Hansan, Hansu, Han River, Hanyang, and Hanseong associated with the area surrounding Samgaksan? It is because Samgaksan is known to receive the most energy from the Milky Way in the Korean Peninsula. Thus, names embodying the meaning of the Milky Way, such as Hansan, Hansu, Han River, Hanyang, and Hanseong, came into existence.
Moreover, the fact that Insubong's gaze is directed towards Polaris signifies that it is looking up to the deity residing in the surrounding area of the Purple Microcosm (紫微垣). As a result, the energy of the heavenly Purple Microcosm descends to Insubong, continuing to Bohyungbong and Baegaksan, and the energy of the Milky Way is poured down into the area of Samgaksan, that is, Seoul, by Polaris. This indicates that the earthly Purple Microcosm is located in Seoul.
In Eastern astronomy, Polaris is regarded as the center of the universe. It is considered the central axis that explains the movement of the heavens and the celestial order. Of course, from a modern astronomical perspective, Polaris (Polaris) is a star within our galaxy, located about 430 light-years away from Earth. However, it merely appears to be a star that does not move in the northern sky.
Nevertheless, the primary reason ancient people regarded Polaris as the center of the universe is that it is very close to the celestial north pole, the direction of Earth's axis of rotation. When the Earth's axis is extended northward, it passes near Polaris, making it appear as a reference point for the north. As the Earth rotates, the stars in the night sky seem to revolve around Polaris, leading to the astronomical concept of 'Polaris = center of the universe'. This aligns with the idea in feng shui that emphasizes visible forms (物象) over actual existence.
Therefore, what does it mean that Polaris controls the Milky Way? The Milky Way is the appearance of our galaxy as observed from Earth (the solar system). The name derives from the way our galaxy appears as a silver river projected onto the celestial sphere at night. Our galaxy is also commonly referred to as the 'galaxy'. The Milky Way is the largest structure in the night sky and represents our galaxy. Its diameter spans hundreds of thousands of light-years and consists of stars, interstellar matter, and dark matter. It is a sea of countless stars, with a mass approximately one trillion times that of the sun, making its energy immeasurable.
Ancient people who valued 'water (水)' believed that the heavenly energy gathered in the Milky Way, which flows like a silver river in the night sky. They thought that Polaris, being the center of the universe, controlled the energy of the Milky Way. Receiving the energy of the Milky Way was akin to receiving the energy of the universe. Thus, Confucius stated in the 'Analects, Book of Governance' that “governing with virtue is like Polaris remaining in its place while other stars revolve around it.” If Polaris is the center of the heavens, then the center of the human world is the monarch (heavenly son).
In summary, since the stars in the heavens appear to revolve around Polaris, Eastern astronomy understands this as follows: the 'cosmic structure of Eastern astronomical thought' is perceived as 'Polaris → Purple Microcosm → Big Dipper → 28 constellations → our galaxy → center of our galaxy → solar system → Earth'. Therefore, Polaris symbolizes not just a single star but a central point of celestial order.
During the Goryeo Dynasty, which placed great importance on this Eastern astronomical thought, the energy of the Milky Way was particularly focused on the area of Samgaksan and Hanyang. In the mid-11th century, during the reign of King Munjong, it was elevated to a city, promoting urbanization. By the end of the 11th century, during the reign of King Sukjong, a palace was built, and the king resided there. In 1394, during the early Joseon period, King Taejo Lee Seong-gye moved the capital from Gaeseong to Hanyang, believing that controlling Hanyang was essential for ruling the Korean Peninsula. This was heavily influenced by geomancers. Former Seoul National University professor Han Young-woo introduced this story in 'Rediscovering Our History'.
“A geomancer named Kim Wije predicted that Hanyang would become a central nation in the world, where the sacred fish of the four seas would gather in the Han River, and the fish dragons of the Han River would extend into the four seas, making it a country where domestic and foreign merchants would offer treasures.”
If Seoul is the city that receives the most energy from the Milky Way, then the 'Miracle on the Han River' is only natural. The city of Seoul, blessed by the Milky Way, is bound to develop, and Korea will prosper alongside it. According to the IMF's estimate for nominal GDP per capita in 2026, Korea is projected to reach between $40,000 and $41,700. This is based on estimates from the Bank of Korea and is higher than Japan's $35,700. The purchasing power parity (PPP) is about $68,600. Deputy Prime Minister Kyun-chul Gu also stated on September 10, “The possibility of achieving a per capita gross national income (GNI) of $40,000 this year has increased.” This marks Korea's entry into the ranks of developed countries, achieving the complete 'Miracle on the Han River'.
It is imperative to restore the name 'Samgaksan' as soon as possible. This is the first step toward national prosperity and the recovery of national spirit. Climbing the rock face of Insubong should also be prohibited. Should we inflict wounds on the sacred 'great rock face'?
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.