Flood damage to cultural heritage sites repeats as CHA raises disaster alert level

Heavy rainfall concentrated in the Greater Seoul area and Gangwon Province has prompted authorities to raise the cultural heritage disaster alert level.

The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) announced Saturday that it elevated the cultural heritage disaster alert from "Caution" to "Alert" effective 8 a.m. "Alert" is the third of four tiers in the disaster warning system, following "Attention" and "Caution." According to the "Flood and Storm Disaster Crisis Response Manual" the CHA published late last year, the "Alert" level indicates that warning signs are intensifying and a national crisis is likely to develop.

The CHA is operating its disaster response center around the clock and monitoring damage to cultural heritage sites by region. Sites confirmed to have sustained damage will receive emergency response measures. A CHA official said the agency would review whether to restrict access to palaces, royal tombs and historic sites depending on weather conditions, and would move to implement emergency protective measures at high-risk locations.

Flood damage to cultural heritage sites is a recurring problem. Last year's extreme rainfall triggered a wave of damage across the country. At the nationally designated treasure "Namsan Tapgok Rock-carved Buddha Statues" in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, falling trees and strong winds damaged part of the surrounding fence. The "Gyeongju Tomb of Queen Jindeok" — the burial mound of Silla's Queen Jindeok — lost several capstones from around the mound and required temporary repairs. The Malisan Ancient Tombs in Haman, South Gyeongsang Province, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, suffered a partial collapse of earthen embankments within the designated historic zone. A section of an old wall in Sinan-gun, South Jeolla Province, registered as a national cultural heritage site, also crumbled.

The Chungcheong region suffered heavily during the same period. Gaesimsa Temple in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province — founded during the reign of King Uija of Baekje — was closed to visitors after large amounts of sediment flooded its grounds, and parts of the Baekje Historic Areas in Buyeo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, also sustained damage. In Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, a landslide damaged the walls and surrounding structures of the main hall of Yulgoksa Temple, a nationally designated treasure. In Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, safety barriers had to be installed along the access road to Seokguram Grotto — a national treasure — after a slope collapsed, underscoring the widespread toll on nationally designated cultural heritage sites across the country.