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MyKoreanTrip

Jeolla

Iksan익산시

A former Baekje capital in North Jeolla now known as a major rail junction, home to the UNESCO-listed Mireuksa temple site and Korea's largest stone pagoda.

Population

About 269,000, according to a January 2024 city registration count.

Fun fact

Iksan's Mireuksaji stone pagoda — likely built during the reign of Baekje's King Mu in the early 600s — is one of only two surviving Baekje-era pagodas and among the largest and oldest stone pagodas in Korea; a gold inscription plate found inside during restoration dates precisely to 639 CE.

Iksan on the map

Iksan is a city in North Jeolla Province built on the legacy of the ancient Baekje kingdom, for which it briefly served as a secondary capital — a history now anchored by the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mireuksa temple site, alongside Iksan's modern role as one of Korea's key railway junctions.

History

During the Sabi period of the Baekje kingdom (538–660 CE), Iksan served as a secondary administrative capital under King Seong and later King Mu, who founded Mireuksa — once the largest Buddhist temple in Baekje — in 602 CE. The nearby Wanggung-ri site preserves the remains of a royal palace complex from the same era. Both sites were inscribed together as part of the Baekje Historic Areas UNESCO World Heritage listing in 2015. In the 20th century, the modern city took shape around the railway town of Iri, which merged with Iksan County in 1995 to form the current city; Iri suffered a devastating 1977 train explosion that killed dozens and leveled much of the town center, but the city rebuilt around its role as a major junction where multiple national rail lines converge.

Highlights

  • Mireuksaji (Mireuksa Temple Site), a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the Mireuksaji Stone Pagoda (National Treasure No. 11), one of only two surviving Baekje-era pagodas and among the oldest and largest stone pagodas in Korea, fully restored in 2018.
  • Wanggung-ri Historic Site, the archaeological remains of a Baekje royal palace complex, part of the same UNESCO listing.
  • Iksan Jewelry Museum, opened in 2002, reflecting the city's status as a center of Korea's jewelry and gemstone industry.
  • National Mireuksaji Site Museum, displaying artifacts recovered from the temple excavations, including the gold inscription plate found inside the stone pagoda.

Getting there

Iksan is a major railway junction on the Honam and Jeolla lines, with frequent KTX and Mugunghwa-ho service connecting directly to Seoul (roughly 1.5–2 hours by KTX), as well as to Jeonju, Gwangju, and Mokpo. The Iksan Bus Terminal also offers express bus service to major cities.

How long

A day trip from Seoul or Jeonju works well given Iksan's excellent rail access — Mireuksaji, Wanggung-ri, and the jewelry museum can be covered in a single day without needing to stay overnight.

Where to go next

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