Northeast Asian History Network

Eastern Wall of the Entrance Passage - Gatekeeper

This is a detailed view of the gatekeeper depicted on the eastern wall of the entrance passage in Susahn-ri Tomb. Unlike typical warriors dressed in armor, this gatekeeper is dressed in plain clothes and referred to as a Yeoksa (literally "strong man"). He appears to be of someone from the Western Regions (Generally refers areas to the west of China).
His long, wavy hair is raised and tied up in a topknot. The big, bright eyes, sharp mustache, and exposed teeth convey a sense of fearlessness and are enough to ward off any would-be intruders and evil spirits.
He can be seen wearing a long, flowing Durumagi (traditional Korean overcoat). The neckline and bottom hemline of the Durumagi have been treated with Seons (accents on garments mimicking the black feathers on a crane’s neck or wingtips, influenced by Siberian shamanism) in a different color. Seons were a common feature in garments worn by northern nomadic tribes. In addition to the decorative effect, the Seon also has a practical purpose of preventing wear. As the necklines, sleeves, and hemlines of garments are prone to wear, these robes were reinforced with different color fabric in each of these areas, thereby enhancing practicality and decoration.
The front panel of this Durumagi was worn right to left in a style known as Jwa-im (literally "panel left"). This style was prevalent within the northern nomadic tribes and continued to be popular even after the introduction of the opposite U-im (Korean style for wearing traditional Hanbok; literally "panel right") method used by Han Chinese.
A waistband can be seen worn together with the Durumagi. The fabric is freely flowing down below the waistband, and the fluttering wide sleeves are reminiscent of a morning glory in bloom.