Gungnamji Pond, located south of Buyeo, was part of the detached palace during the Baekje Period. It was wrongly referred to as Maraebangjuk, the natural pond, until it was discovered to be an artificial pond during the Baekje Period.

It was named Gungnamji for the sentence in Kim Bu-book, sik's Samguk sagi, that the pond was created south of the palace. It was most likely erected during the time of Baekje's King Mu (History of the Three Kingdoms). Water was delivered along the 8-kilometer channel to plant the cherry trees, according to the book, with the island in the middle of the pond symbolizing Bangjangseonsan Mountain.

Samguksaji records that “A pond was made to the south of the palace in March, and it drew fresh running water through a 20li-long pipeline. The pond has an island with a pavilion surrounded by willow trees on it to imitate Bangjangseonsan.” Looking at this record, it can be known that it is a royal garden made during King Mu’s reign. At the hill on the east of the pond, stereobate stone, roof tiles, and earthenware pieces were excavated, which hint that a palace was nearby.

Gungnamji with the pavilion in the middle was the first garden to express the Taoist ideology. It shows that Baekje most excelled at decorating gardens among the three states. All four seasons are beautiful. Thousands of lotus flowers line up for Seodong Lotus Flower Festival in July. In October and November, the Goodtrae Chrysanthemum Festival displays various artworks.

Gungnamji Pond — literally "a pond in the south of the royal palace" — is considered to be Korea's first artificial island/pond, built by King Mu of the Baekje Period as part of the detached palace at a period when Korea's capital was located in Buyeo, where the pavilion is located.

The ancient beauty of Korean aristocrats in the past has made Gungnamji pond one of the Top 100 Must-Visit locations for the years 2021-22. Ao Gungnamji is also the filming location for many famous Korean movies and shows such as — The Sound of a Flower (2015); Seven Day Queen (2017); The Last Empress (2018); Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter (2018); Haechi (2019); Royal Secret Agent (2020); No Touch Princess/Mr. Queen (2020).