Ulleungdo Inspectors' "Wind-waiting House" (待風軒) Over 158 Years Old

According to a December 30, 2008 Segye Ilbo article entitled, "Uljin's Daepungheon Built Before 1851," the "Daepungheon" (待風軒 - 대풍헌), which was the old building where Ulleungdo inspectors during the Joseon Dynasty used to stay while waiting for favorable winds to sail to Ulleungdo, is over 158 years old. The building is located in Gyeongsang Province's Uljin County at Giseong-myeon, Gusan 1 ri, 202 Beonji (경북 울진군 기성면 구산1리 202번지에) .

The article says that while recently demantling the building, the county found beams with writing commemorating the placement of the pillars of the building at between 9 and 11 in the morning on March 2, 1851 (*在咸豊元年辛亥三月初二日巳時立柱戌時) and the raising of the ridgepoles at between 7 and 9 in the evening. The beams are shown in the picture above.

Officials do not know exactly when the building was first built, but since the beams also say that it was a restoration (邱山洞舍重修記), they assume that it was built before 1851. The commemoration beam also listed the names of the carpenters and others who participated in the restoration.

Some old records of Ulleungdo inspections during the Joseon period are currently stored in the building, but in a 2006 KBS TV special on Ulleungdo, one of the old men in charge of the old records said that officials came there a few decades ago and, for some unknown reason, burned many of the records that were there. Posts on that incident can be found HERE and HERE.