Key UNESCO sites in Andong still intact, officials say

Gounsa, a temple in Uiseong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, before (left) and after wildfires (Yonhap)
Gounsa, a temple in Uiseong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, before (left) and after wildfires (Yonhap)

The tally of damage to cultural heritage overseen by the government has been steadily increasing since last week, when one of the worst wildfires in South Korean history started in the country’s southeastern region.

The Korea Heritage Service has so far reported 18 cases of damage, including natural monuments, two state-designated treasures and three scenic sites. No National Treasures — the highest rank of state-designated treasures — has been affected according to the agency.

A centuries-old hall and pavilion at Gounsa in Ulseong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, were lost when the temple burned to the ground. Heritage officials have since stepped up their vigil of two UNESCO-listed compounds in Andong in the same province — Byeongsanseowon and Hahoe Village.

Byeongsanseowon, a 17th-century Confucian academy that became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, is home to Mandaeru, a pavilion that is a state-recognized treasure. Historic signboards have been moved elsewhere as a precaution.

Hahoe Village, a World Heritage Site since 2010, is home to descendants of the Ryu clan of Pungsan, whose settlement dates back to the 14th century at the earliest. Four structures on the compound are state treasures.

Fire trucks, helicopters and firefighters are deployed to the sites, hoping to mount a defense using the Nakdong River, which surrounds the two sites not far from each other. No material damage has been reported around the compounds so far, according to the KHS.

“We have about 750 agency officials dispatched nationwide to cultural heritage sites at potential risk,” a KHS official said of current operations underway.

“We have eyes on natural monuments too,” the official added, saying wildfires take a bigger toll on natural monuments than other heritage sites in that recovery takes more time.

As fires continue to spread into Jirisan National Park, concerns over their impact on the park’s natural heritage and surrounding areas are keeping officials on alert.

The Hadong gingko trees in South Gyeongsang Province and the Ulsan evergreen trees are some of the natural heritage sites that have already sustained partial damage.

The fires are affecting local festivals as well. A three-day cherry blossom festival starting Friday in Busan has been postponed for a week.


siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com