Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon was built by King Jeongjo (r. 1776-1800) as an act of filial piety to restore the honor of his father who had been murdered as a result of palace intrigue and to help bolster the authority of the monarchy which had been weakened by that same factional fighting. In 1789, Jeongjo moved his father's tomb to Mt. Hwasan in the small town of Suwon. Subsequently, the King ordered the town moved to nearby Mt. Paldalsan and created a well-planned new town. To protect its inhabitants, a fortress was constructed beginning in 1794 and completed in 1796.

The fortress was designed by Jeong Yak-yong (Dasan, 1762-1836), one of the greatest Confucian Silhak (School of Practical Learning) scholars and was based on Silhak efforts to improve labor conditions. The planning for the advanced city allowed for active commerce and effective defense against attack. Bricks, a new building material, were used in the construction, in addition to the more common wood and stone, and a crane-like pulley was devised to hoist materials. The fortress was thus a test of modern architectural, engineering and construction techniques, while remaining faithful to Joseon aesthetic ideals.

Because the fortress was intended to protect the town, it contained numerous defensive devices rarely seen in other Korean fortresses. For example, the gongsimdon, the lookout towers, are unique to this fortress. In addition, the embrasures were designed to accommodate both rifles and arrows, though the major means of defense was cannon.