Yeongcheon council research group kicks off study on ancient tomb complex's heritage designation

A lawmaker research group of the Yeongcheon City Council in North Gyeongsang Province held a launch briefing Tuesday for a study on designating the Wansandong ancient tomb complex as a historic site.

The briefing was convened to establish the legal grounds for a historic-site designation under the Special Act on the Preservation and Promotion of Historic Sites, and to develop a systematic conservation plan for the Wansandong tomb complex, which sits at the heart of Yeongcheon's ancient history and culture.

The session was attended by Rep. Choi Sun-rye, who leads the research group, along with Rep. Jo Chang-ho and relevant civil servants from the city administration, who exchanged views on the direction of the research.

A presentation by Kim Jae-hong, a professor at Kookmin University's Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation overseeing the research project, drew particular attention.

A native of Yeongcheon's Bukan-myeon and a former director of the National Museum of Korea, Kim is one of the foremost authorities in Korean history and archaeology.

He laid out a detailed research agenda and action plan covering everything from an analysis of the tomb complex's current condition to academic and institutional approaches for securing the historic-site designation.

The research group plans to conduct field surveys and archival studies through December, assess the feasibility of Yeongcheon's historic-site designation, and present a phased policy roadmap for the systematic preservation of the Wansandong tomb complex and the broader benefit of the local community.

In her opening remarks, Rep. Choi said, "Yeongcheon was the center of the ancient Golbeol Kingdom and is home to the Wansandong tomb complex, yet systematic preservation and national support have fallen short of its historical and academic significance. Through this study, we aim to build a solid case for the historic-site designation."