Deokjin Fortress

Deokjin Fortress, located in Gunnae-myeon, Paju-si, is a mountain fortress presumed to have been built during the Three Kingdoms period. Deokjin Fortress is divided into an inner fortress and an outer fortress. The inner fortress was built in the shape of a gourd, following the mountain ridge around the highest peak at 85 meters above sea level. Two gate sites remain clearly in the outer fortress, and there are two sections where low walls were built on top of the fortress. Although it is located at a relatively low elevation, it is on the northern bank of the Imjin River, and with no high mountains nearby, it appears to have served as a strategic vantage point overlooking a wide area.

The inner fortress is presumed to have been built with stepped stonework and reinforcement to enhance the solidity of the walls. The outer fortress was an earthen fortification, with walls constructed by compacting and piling up soil, and it appears that defensive structures such as wooden palisades were installed on the outside. Unlike the inner fortress, the outer fortress was built very hastily during the reign of Gwanghaegun as war tensions escalated, so the walls are not meticulously constructed.