Please Call Us "Gangwon History and Culture Research Institute" Starting Today

Change of Institution Name to 'Gangwon Cultural Heritage Research Institute' and Expansion of Duties
"Focusing on 'Preservation and Utilization' from Cultural Heritage Excavation"

The Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced on the 15th that starting today, the existing ‘Gangwon Cultural Heritage Research Institute’ will change its name to ‘Gangwon History and Culture Research Institute’ and expand its scope of work.

Gangwon Institute of History and Culture website.

This name change follows the ‘National Heritage Act’ enacted in May this year, which changed the term ‘cultural heritage’ to ‘national heritage’ and transitioned the existing cultural heritage classification system to a national heritage system aligned with international standards.

Reflecting this, Gangwon Province amended the ‘Ordinance on the Establishment and Support of the Gangwon Cultural Heritage Research Institute Foundation’ to the ‘Ordinance on the Establishment and Support of the Gangwon History and Culture Research Institute Foundation,’ which has been in effect since July 26 of this year.

Subsequently, the institute held a board meeting on September 2 this year and comprehensively revised and updated its articles of incorporation and necessary operational regulations to align with current standards.

Along with the name change, the Gangwon History and Culture Research Institute plans to actively expand its projects from focusing solely on the excavation of cultural heritage to also include preservation and utilization in line with contemporary trends.

It aims to strengthen various public interest projects to widely promote the value of Gangwon’s cultural heritage to residents and visitors. In particular, it plans to closely cooperate with related organizations to inspect the preservation environment of cultural heritage at public museums in the province, such as the DMZ Museum and the Forest Museum, using experts and equipment, and to provide visitors with the full value of cultural heritage through prompt preservation management.

To preserve 589 national heritage sites, the institute plans to prevent damage in advance through termite monitoring, minor repairs, and routine maintenance, while continuously creating a pleasant viewing environment.

Additionally, it will establish and operate an Internet of Things (IoT)-based cultural heritage safety management system to respond swiftly to heritage damage, and expand cultural services by providing and utilizing various materials and content through 3D original recording of non-designated cultural heritage and the construction of an archive system for Gangwon cultural heritage.

One of the most important matters is the incorporation of the Gangwon Studies Research Center in January this year, which is expected to create various synergies by linking Gangwon’s cultural heritage and history through diverse research and network building on cultural heritage and Gangwon studies.

Currently, an external organization is objectively diagnosing the institute’s operational status and conducting a mid- to long-term planning research project by the end of November this year to respond to internal and external environmental changes. Based on the research results, various measures such as organizational restructuring for efficient management, discovery of new projects, and abolition of inefficient projects will be reviewed and promoted.

A representative of the Gangwon History and Culture Research Institute stated, “With the transition to the national heritage system, the institute has changed its name and will promote and expand various projects not only in the excavation and management of cultural heritage but also in the utilization of Gangwon’s history and cultural heritage.” They emphasized, “In line with the changing times, we will faithfully work to create a historical and cultural environment that Gangwon residents can easily approach by discovering interesting stories of Gangwon’s history that residents need, developing diverse content, and actively utilizing precious cultural heritage.”