17세기 전후 조선의 국방전략이 하삼도 왜구침입에 대비하기 위한 방어시설물 신축은 물론 새로운 성곽 구조 및 축조수법은 전무한 실정이었다. 그러나 한양도성과 주변 성곽과 지방 읍성 및 영진보성, 산성의 일부에서는 이러한 양상과 달리 17세기 전후 새롭게 도입되는 성곽의 구조와 축조수법이 적용되었다. 이 성곽축성 신경향으로 체성 외벽면석의 그랭이공법 채용 및 방형 성곽석의 규격화가 이루어진다. 또한 체성 외벽기단부에 근석 설치, 체성 여장 구조가 소화기 사용을 위한 총안 형태 다양화로 발전한다. 체성 외벽 축조는 16세기 이전에 비하여 체성 경사각의 사선화가 채용되고 이것은 임진왜란 시 축조된 왜성의 영향에 기인한다. 아울러 왜성 재활용도 일부 이루어진다. 내벽 축조는 외벽석축내탁식축조수법이 모든 유형의 성곽에 적용되고, 일부이지만 전석이 사용된다. 체성 외벽 하단부에는 반원형치성유구가 축조된다. 지방거점산성 등에서는 본성에 덧붙여 용도가 재설치되는데, 17세기 초, 남한산성 등에서만 설치되는 것이 지방거점산성에서도 설치된다. 특히 이러한 성곽 축성 신경향은 행정위계상 도호부, 목 등이 설치된 지역에 한정하여 적용되었고 하위단위 군현에는 적용되지 않았다. 체성에 전석을 사용하여 축조한 것 역시 강화외성과 수원화성을 비롯한 일부에 한정되었고, 읍성 등의 성루 앞쪽 치첩에 사용되었으나 짧은 기간에 유행하였다. 이러한 것은 경제적인 이유 및 내구력이 석재에 비하여 떨어지는 것에 기인하였다. 또한 17세기 전후 성곽 축성에 축조되는 용도, 반원형 치상유구 등도 지방거점산성 내 영진이 설치된 곳에 축조되는 것으로 파악되며 여타 성곽에서는 확인되지 않는다. 행정구역인 부목군현 가운데 부목 지역 치소성 및 지방거점산성의 정문인 성문을 중심으로 홍예식 및 평거식과 변형 홍예식으로 개축되었으나 전국적인 축성공역으로는 이어지지 않은 듯하다. 따라서 17세기 전후 성곽 축성의 신경향이 조선 전지역으로 확산되지 못한 한계성을 드러낸 것은 조선 전기와 같은 중앙집권적 대규모 축성공역이 이루어지지 않는 점, 조선 전기와 달리 축성에 동원되는 인력에 대한 임금 지불에 따른 국고 고갈에 대한 지배층의 부담, 오랜 평화기로 인한 국방력 강화에 대한 인식 약화, 화약무기 가운데 소화기의 발달 및 소화기로 무장한 소총병 위주 군편제에 기인한 성곽무용론에 기인한다고 하겠다.

During the seventeenth century the Joseon dynasty made few systematic efforts to reinforce the defenses of its three southern provinces against Japanese pirates, particularly with regard to that part of its defense strategy related to fortress structures and fortification techniques. Despite the general tendency, some parts of Hanyang Fortress and other fortifications in and around the capital of Joseon, defensive facilities built to protect local administrative centers (eupseong), fortresses built to defend strategic places (yeongjinboseong), and mountain fortresses built as wartime shelters (sangseong) show the structures and techniques of a fortification architecture that was newly introduced in the seventeenth century. The new features were characterized by the application of the polygonal masonry (grengi gongbeop) technique to the outer part of a curtain wall, and the standardization of square and rectangular stone blocks used in the construction of fortifications. Other new features included the installation of “root stones” (geunseok) in the foundations of outer walls and the adoption of battlements designed to enable the effective use of small firearms. Another notable feature of the fortifications built in this period was the construction of outer walls that sloped outwards, showing the influence of Japanese fortification architecture. During this same period Joseon also tried to exploit certain fortifications which the invading Japanese forces had built in the late sixteenth century. As for the construction of the inner walls of Joseon fortresses, the core-and-veneer method was applied to all types of fortifications, while in some rare cases bricks or tiles were used rather than untrimmed stones. Some of the fortifications built around the seventeenth century also had semicircular “jar walls” that projected from the lower part of the outer wall, while the fortifications built to defend regional administrative centers had a “cylindrical path” (yongdo) that linked an outwork with the main part of the fortification. A classic example of the yongdo can be seen at Namhansanseong Fortress, which was used as a refuge by the royal family of Joseon during the Manchu invasion of the early seventeenth century. These new architectural features were mainly adopted at fortifications built to protect major provincial administrative units such as “Dohobu” and “Mok”, rather than lower administrative units such as Gun (i.e. county) and Hyeon (i.e. prefecture). The use of bricks and/or tiles was also limited to fortifications that performed special functions, such as the Outer Fortress in Ganghwa and Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, and, though rarely, to the battlements of a limited number of prefectural fortifications (eupseong). However, the popularity of bricks and tiles as fortification building materials did not last long, largely due to economic reasons and their poor durability compared with stones. The jar wall and cylindrical path were also used for a limited number of mountain fortresses (sanseong) built to defend strategically important local administrative centers. Other distinctive features of fortification architecture that were introduced in the seventeenth century but failed to spread nationwide include the arched gate, the post-and-lintel system, and a modified type of arched gate. In conclusion, the new trends of fortification architecture adopted in the seventeenth century could not be introduced across the entire country for a number of reasons. For example, unlike in the early phase of the Joseon dynasty, no major state-financed fortress construction projects were conducted in the seventeenth century due to the inability of the ruling class to bear the financial burden of the high wages that would have to be paid to the builders of fortresses. Furthermore, there was a general lack of awareness of the importance of national defense following a prolonged period of peace, while the development of small firearms and the rise of military units dependent on firearms contributed to the emergence of a view that devalued the functions of traditional fortifications and their paramount place in the national defense strategy.