Villa of Lee Ki-poong (이기붕별장)
Villa of Lee Ki-poong (이기붕별장)
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The villa of Lee Ki-poong is located between the villas of Rhee Syngman and Kim Ilsung on the shores of Hwajinpo Lake. The villa was originally built by foreign missionaries in the 1920s. It was used as vacation villa by the Northern communist party’s executives before the Korean War broke out, and was turned into a private residence by Lee, the Vice-president to President Rhee, and his wife Maria Park after the cease-fire agreement.
– Address : 280 Hwajinpo-gil, Geojin-eup, Goseong-gun, Gangwon-do
※ Presentation Information
– Information and Guides
+82-33-680-3469
– Parking
Available
– Day Off
N/A (Open all year round)
– Operating Hours
09:00-18:00 (Winter season 09:00-17:30)* Last ticketing is 1 hr before closing.
◎ Nearby Tourism Infobox
⊙ Castle at Hwajinpo (화진포의 성(김일성별장))
View detailed guide on Korea Trip Guide →
– Homepage
www.gwgs.go.kr: Visit site
The Castle of Hwajinpo was the summer retreat for Kim Ilsung, former leader of North Korea, and his family from 1948 to 1950. Photos of the family on vacation there show Kim Jungil as a young boy of six years. The building was constructed entirely of stone in 1938 by a German architect for the Sherwood Hall missionary family, and features a basement level and two above-ground floors. The house is now open to the public, with an exhibition of how the house was used by the Kim family, faithfully recreated from photographic research.
⊙ Villa of Rhee Syngman (이승만별장(고성))
View detailed guide on Korea Trip Guide →
– Homepage
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During the 1950’s, three leaders, namely Kim Ilsung, Rhee Syngman and Lee Ki-poong had summer houses built around the lake of Hwajinpo. The villa of Rhee Syngman, Korea’s first president, was built in 1954 but fell into a state of disuse by 1961. It was not repaired until July of 1997 by the army, and was fully restored in 1999, opening as an exhibition hall.
⊙ Hwajinpo Beach (화진포해수욕장)
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Opened in 1973, Hwajinpo Beach is a stretch of white sand made of monazite, a fine sand made of crushed shells and rocks over tens of thousands of years. Monazite sand makes a distinct sound when stepped on and repels ants. The beach is 1.7 kilometer long, about 70 meters wide, and 1.5 meters in average depth. The beach attracts many tourists with its fine white sand, clear waters, and shallow depths. Its view is characterized by scenic landscape of handsome rock formations and lush pine forests surrounding the massive Hwajinpo Lake. The area is home to the Villa of Kim Il-sung, the Villa of Syngman Rhee, the Villa of Lee Ki-poong, and Hwajinpo Maritime Museum. The scenic view of the bamboo forest on Geumgudo Island and the seagulls flying over the water will leave visitors in awe.
⊙ Hwajinpo Lake (화진포)
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Hwajinpo Lake is one of the most famous lagoons in Korea. It is connected to the East Sea and blessed with natural light, with dense pine forests spreading like folding screens around the vast lake, which covers an area of 238ha. The beach is shallow, clear, and has a great view of the Geumgudo Island, making it popular among tourists. In winter, the area also serves as a refuge for migratory birds, including Natural Monuments like swans. Indeed, the view of the swans dancing over the lake brings to mind Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece. The reason why migratory birds head to Hwajinpo Lake is because of its clean water and the abundant food within its reed beds. The surrounding areas are home to the Castle of Hwajinpo (Villa of Kim Il-sung), Villa of Syngman Rhee, and Hwajinpo Maritime Museum, home to nearly 40,000 exhibits of 1,500 rare shellfish, coral, fish species and fossils, along with historic sites like dolmens. The area is a vital habitat to many aquatic creatures like carp, grey mullet, leather carp, and snakehead.
