This study investigated and analyzed ancient records on the type, planting background, and construction process of Gwanbang forest(關防林) planned for military defense during the Joseon Dynasty to find out the purpose, location, and planting species of Gwanbang forest. The research results were as follows. During the Joseon Dynasty, Gwanbang forests were created around various government facilities(關防施設), such as Eupseong(邑城), major government offices, camps, and fortifications, for the purpose of defending against enemies. Gwanbang forest includes Yeongaeglim(嶺阨林), which was created on the crest of a strategically important hill, and Military Forest created for military purposes. Most of the spirit forest was designated as Geumsan(禁山) and protected and managed, and the Gwanbang forest was created for various purposes such as shielding, flood damage and river bank erosion prevention as well as external defense. In addition, in order to continuously and efficiently produce wood, which is a material for ships, buildings, and agricultural tools, in most cases, large areas were created as mixed forests. As for the species constituting the Gwanbang forest, there are records of tangerine tree, which is effective for defense because it has thorns, and deciduous broad-leaved trees such as zelkova, elm, willow, david hemiptelea, and oak appear. In the case of Ganghwa island, which served as the defense of the capital and the royal family during the Joseon Dynasty, several records have confirmed that a forest densely planted with trifoliate orange was created for the purpose of Gwanbang forest to reinforce the defense of the outer fortress. Based on historical research in the literature, assuming that the natural monument 'Gapgotri tangerine tree in Ganghwa Island' was planted in the 30th year of King Sukjong(1704), the first record of planting trifoliate orange in Ganghwa Island, the maximum age is estimated to be more than 319 years.