This step pyramid, on the way from uisong to anpyong, is located in soktap1ri, uisong, near taegu, korea. It is very similar to the Andong Pyramid which is 37 Km away from here to the north. It was once badly destroyed 3~4 years ago by robber, stones in the west were digged out and removed. One of three buddhist stone statues within this pyramid was stolen at that moment. There is remains of buddhist temple beside the pyramid, on the slope.

It is called 'soktap' in korean, means stone pagoda or stone (step) pyramid in small size. Four sides of it face to the four cardinal points, with being inclined on the east end of slope. Some of stones in the north side were collapsed, used to be repaired by villagians from time to time. But I think it was survived having an original shape, structure and steps, which is thought as 7th steps. 12.7m by 11.4m square and 3.5m high now.

There are three unusual closet (like the buddhist statue case) outside of it, different from Andong Pyramid, face to the east, south, west. It was said to be each buddhist stone statue in each closet, which is 85 Cm high, 45 Cm wide, 30 Cm thick, in there, but two of them survived. East closet is on the second step different from the south, west closet, but they have got the similar height, because of inclined. So I could guess the buddhist closets were added after the construction of pyramid.

There is just one legend about this pyramid ; "long long times ago, a monk lived here. A fire broke out at the buddhist temple, HaeInSa, someday, 75 Km far away from here. He dip a pine twig in the water, chant a spell, sprinkle the water of it, then extinguished the fire at the temple, HaeInSa." But there are no legend about the construction. I can imagine builders are gone, disappeared, or moved. New residents are no connection with them.

Who and why built this pyramid? It is a imitated structure? But historical fact says Kokuryo occupied once (maybe around AD 500 ~ 600, a scholar says for 40 years) the area of Andong, Chongsong, Yongdok, even Chongha near the capital of Silla, Kyongju. (photos taken in March 1997, written in March 1997)