Jinju Fortress is the reason to come. The walled site on the north bank of the Namgang River gathers most of the city's major sights in one walkable place: gates, ramparts, pavilions, shrines, the national museum, and river views.
Its story is fierce. In 1592, during the Imjin War, a small Korean force held the fortress against a much larger Japanese army. The following year the Japanese returned in overwhelming numbers, and Jinju fell. That memory still shapes the way the city presents itself.