Procedures for Consultation on Development in Areas with Buried Cultural Assets Will Be Simplified

Roles of Si, Gun, and Gu Enhanced After Completing Indicator Survey

The procedures required before construction work in areas recognized to have cultural heritage buried beneath buildings or land will be simplified. The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 20th that the revised Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Protection and Investigation of Buried Cultural Heritage, which recently passed the Cabinet meeting, will be implemented from the end of this month.

2016 On-site Specialized Training for Store Cultural Heritage Investigation [Photo by Cultural Heritage Administration]

Until now, in areas recognized as having buried heritage, if the development project area exceeded 4,000㎡, the construction project implementer had to consult with the Cultural Heritage Administration. This involved coordinating with the Cultural Heritage Administration through the local government with licensing authority and following the resulting orders.

Going forward, the provincial or metropolitan governor with jurisdiction will be delegated the authority to consult on related projects in areas where investigations into the presence or distribution of cultural heritage have been conducted. The role of city, county, and district offices that have completed surface investigations is expected to become more significant.

In areas where surface investigations have not been conducted, the consultation criteria will change from "project area of 4,000㎡ or less" to "buried heritage area of 4,000㎡ or less." The Cultural Heritage Administration explained, "This clarifies the consultation criteria based on the distribution range of buried heritage." They added, "Although there have been many inconveniences for the public, such as additional consultation time, it is expected that project duration, procedures, and required time will be reduced in the future."

The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to complete surface investigations by as early as 2026, based on the 'Buried Heritage Area Information Advancement' project that supports local governments in effectively protecting and managing buried heritage. Currently, twenty-four city, county, and district offices have completed the work, and thirty-seven are in progress. Next year, support will be provided for surface investigations and information advancement projects in twenty-four locations.