“Pest Out!”... Ulsan Museum Offers Fumigation Service for Citizen-Owned Artifacts

Organic Paper and Textile Artifacts Received from the 11th to 20th

The Ulsan Museum is conducting a free fumigation disinfection support project for artifacts owned by individuals and small-scale public and private institutions.

This project was established to raise awareness among Ulsan citizens about cultural heritage preservation and to create a safe preservation environment.

Fumigation disinfection is a preventive treatment method that minimizes damage caused by mold and wood-boring insects by fumigating and sterilizing artifacts vulnerable to biological or microbial damage in a sealed space. It requires specialized equipment and personnel, making it difficult for individuals or small institutions to carry out on their own.

The support targets movable and storable artifacts. Organic artifacts eligible for fumigation support include paper items (books, documents, photographs), textiles (clothing, leather, shoes), paintings (scrolls, folding screens), wooden items (furniture, household goods), and crafts (woodcraft, straw craft, paper craft).

Applications for support will be accepted from November 11 to 20. Those wishing to receive fumigation disinfection should call the Ulsan Museum for consultation and then bring their artifacts directly to the museum for registration. The fumigation disinfection is scheduled to take place over four days from November 25 to 28.

After disinfection, the Ulsan Museum will safely return the artifacts by wrapping them in neutral hanji paper and placing them in storage boxes along with insect repellent products. The museum also plans to provide guidance on storage and management methods according to the materials of the artifacts.

A representative of the Ulsan Museum said, “We hope this free fumigation disinfection support project will help preserve cultural heritage owned by individuals and serve as an opportunity to raise public awareness about cultural heritage management.”

The Ulsan Museum has been conducting fumigation disinfection once a year since 2013. To date, 25 individual owners and 16 institutions have participated, supporting a total of 1,842 cultural heritage items, including 1,365 paper and old books, 173 wooden items, 25 paintings and calligraphy, 142 textiles, and 106 bone and horn artifacts.