The fortress was constructed in 1397 by general Kim Bin-gil, during the reign of King Taejo of Joseon. The fortress was intended to defend the area after the defeat of the Wokou pirates. It was initially surrounded by a sand wall, but was fortified with a stone wall during the rule of King Injo in order to better defend itself against Japanese pirates. The project was carried out under the guidance of general Im Gyeong-eop (1594-1646),[1] who served as the governor of Nagan from 1626 to 1628. When he died, a monumental house was built by the people of Nagan, which still stands in the village to this day.

Nine 19th century thatched-roof houses are designated as national heritages, because they are valuable examples of South Jeolla architecture during the Joseon period.[1]

Naganeupseong was designated as National Heritage (Historic Site No. 302) in 1983. Since then, a series of projects have been conducted to preserve the village landscape. 231 houses were kept in their original condition, and are thus considered valuable sources for academic research.[2] The village was also included on the tentative list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 2010.