This pavilion was originally built in 1817 by Sim Sang-gyu (1766-1838), then the Yusu of Gwangju, who used it as part of an archery range. The background history to the pavilion is provided by a rubbing of the inscription on the Iwijeonggi (Record of Iwijeong Pavilion) plaque, and by the Jungjeongnamhanji. According to the records, the text of the commemorative plaque was composed by Sim Sang-gyu and handwritten by Kim Jeong-hui, a great calligrapher of the late Joseon period. The governor was 51 years of age and the calligrapher 31 when the pavilion plaque was made.