Sajikdan in central Seoul is an altar where kings of Joseon (1392-1910) prayed to gods of the earth and harvest.

During the Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945) the colonial government cleared the area and turned it into a park.

In 1988, before the Seoul Olympics, the altar was restored, but by then it had lost its charm ― it is surrounded by fences, libraries and leisure facilities, including an archery range.

Kim Young M’Young, chairwoman of YÉOL Korean Heritage Preservation Society, is committed to not only preserving the Sajikdan altar but also restoring the surrounding environment.

“Nowadays, restoring cultural heritage itself is not enough. We must create the surroundings that can accentuate the heritage and make ordinary citizens feel the atmosphere of the old days,” Kim said Wednesday at a meeting with reporters in Seoul.

“We are hoping that people who visit the place will be able to enjoy the scenery of Mount Inwangsan that stands behind Sajikdan, learn about Sajikdan and enjoy the full atmosphere of the surrounding areas. Just like London has Hyde Park and New York has Central Park, I hope the place can become a signature greenery of Seoul,” she said.

YÉOL, registered as a “guardian” of Sajikdan with the Cultural Heritage Administration, has been urging the authorities to restore the royal chamber where the king slept before the rituals, the preparation room for rites and others in Sajikdan. It has requested Seoul City and other government bodies to remove all buildings that are unrelated to the altar, and link the nearby green areas to create a 165,000-square-meter park. The group has also been holding campaigns to raise public awareness of the issue by holding a series of lectures, field trips and others.

Kim, wife of Rep. Chung Mong-joon, admitted that it was not an easy task for her and YÉOL.

“It is a long-term project since conflict of interest occurs in every corner and a budget shortage has halted the negotiations since the project was initiated in 2002. But we are hoping that people will one day understand that preserving Sajikdan is a way of knowing and respecting our roots,” she said.

Kim has been a devoted guardian of cultural heritage since 2002, right before the Korea-Japan World Cup, when people from around the world visited the country and she had to show the beauty of Korea as wife of then-vice president of FIFA and chairman of the Korea Football Association.

“I was appalled that there was so little information available at cultural heritage sites and lack of management leaving the valuable assets in poor condition. Korea is one of the most beautiful countries I have been to but the reckless development plans are hindering people from realizing it,” she said.

Founded in 2002, YÉOL has also been involved in several similar projects, including the preservation of a group of petroglyphs in Bangudae, in Ulsan. The engraved images including numerous humans, animals, ships, tools and unknown figures are now said to be on the verge of ruin as the carvings are submerged underwater from the surrounding dam for 6-7 months each year.

The foundation as well as Kim and Chung have been urging the government to readjust the water level, only to face blistery reaction from Ulsan residents who depend on the dam for drinking water.

“The petroglyphs are the origin of all Korean art. Of course people will need to sacrifice a little but I hope they will prioritize rescuing the artifacts because the engravings have already become nearly unrecognizable,” Kim said.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)