Focus on Strengthening Preservation Management... Considering Expanded Application
"Increased Risks from Barefoot Walking, Graffiti, and More"
The Cultural Heritage Administration's Office of Royal Tombs and Relics announced on the 24th that starting next month, the early opening hours of Seooreung in Goyang and Jangneung in Gimpo will be tentatively adjusted from 6:00 AM (February to October) and 6:30 AM (November to January) to 7:00 AM (applied uniformly regardless of the month). They judged that the inconvenience experienced during times when exercise spaces were insufficient has been greatly alleviated due to the expansion and maintenance of nearby parks and the extension of walking trails. Since these sites were registered as UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2009, plans are in place to strengthen preservation management. A representative from the Office of Royal Tombs and Relics explained, "This measure aims to protect national heritage and visitors from increasing risks such as wild boar and stray dog appearances in the early morning hours, illegal harvesting of forest products, barefoot walking, falls on icy paths, and graffiti."
After the Korean War, early opening of Joseon royal tombs began in 1961 with Jeongneung in Seoul due to the lack of urban sports parks. The number of royal tombs with early opening gradually increased but was sequentially abolished in the 1980s following palace and tomb restoration projects. Currently, early opening is maintained only at five sites including Seooreung and Jangneung, as well as Seonjeongneung and Jeongneung in Seoul, and Donggureung in Guri. All other Joseon royal tombs open at 9:00 AM. The Office of Royal Tombs and Relics plans to review whether to apply this change to the other three sites based on the results of this pilot operation, keeping in mind November, when the wildfire prevention period begins, as an appropriate time.
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