Munmyeongdae, Director of Korean Art History Institute Who Discovered Bangudae Petroglyphs, Awarded Silver Crown Cultural Medal

Late Shin Su-sik, Honorary Holder of Yeongsan Juldarigi

Moon Myeong-dae, director of the Korean Art History Research Institute who discovered the Bangudae Petroglyphs in Ulsan, will receive a government medal.

Moon Myung-dae, Director of the Korean Art History Research Institute
Photo by National Heritage Agency

The Cultural Heritage Administration will hold an awards ceremony for contributors to national heritage protection on the 9th, National Heritage Day, at the government Daejeon office. The ceremony will widely recognize the achievements of those who have devoted themselves to the preservation, management, and utilization of national heritage.

Moon, who will receive the Silver Crown Cultural Medal, is a scholar of Buddhist art history. In 1970, while investigating Buddhist relics around Ulsan in search of traces of the monk Wonhyo, he discovered the Cheonjeon-ri inscription and petroglyphs engraved with various shapes, writings, and drawings. The following year, he found the Bangudae Petroglyphs after a tip from a local resident.

Both petroglyphs have been designated as national treasures and have been submitted for UNESCO World Heritage listing. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the official advisory body to the World Heritage Committee, completed an on-site inspection last May. The final decision on the listing is expected in July next year.

The late Shin Su-sik, honorary holder of the Yeongsan Juldarigi intangible cultural heritage, who passed away last month, will also be awarded the Silver Crown Cultural Medal. He was the last holder of Yeongsan Juldarigi, widely known through university festivals in the 1980s. He is recognized for his dedicated efforts in transmission activities and his significant contribution to the inscription of Yeongsan Juldarigi as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The late Shin Su-sik, Honorary Holder of the National Intangible Heritage Yeongsan Juldarigi
Photo by National Heritage Agency

Lee Sang-seok, chairman of the Natural Heritage Committee who led the enactment of the "Act on the Conservation and Use of Natural Heritage," and Kang Jeon-yu, CEO of the Comprehensive Tree Hospital who established Korea's first tree hospital, will receive the Bronze Crown Cultural Medal.

The Ok Crown Cultural Medal will be awarded to Kim Eun-dong, holder of the Goryeong Je-wa-jang intangible cultural heritage in Gyeongsangbuk-do. He was recognized for his dedication to producing traditional Korean roof tiles tailored to national heritage while serving as the senior chairman of the National Heritage Craftsmen Association.

The Presidential Citation will be awarded to three individuals and two organizations. They are Kang Kyung-sook, professor emeritus at Chungbuk National University who established the academic system of ceramics; Jeong Chae-nam, holder of the Gwangryeosan Sut-il-sori intangible cultural heritage in Gyeongsangnam-do who discovered the labor song "Sut-il-sori"; writer Lee Jong-geun, who narrates the story of "Kkotdam"; the Andong Chajeonnori Preservation Society; and the Chungnam Institute of History and Culture.

The Prime Minister's Citation will be given to Kim In-gyu, visiting researcher at the Agricultural Science Research Institute of Chungnam National University, who has carried out habitat preservation activities for natural monument birds such as the black-faced spoonbill that require international protection.

Lee Sang-seok, Chairman of the Natural Heritage Committee [Photo by National Heritage Agency]

Meanwhile, the Cultural Heritage Administration will proclaim the "National Heritage Charter" on this day. Based on the revised Cultural Heritage Charter of 2020, it newly reflects the basic ideology and future values of the national heritage system transition. An official said, "It is meaningful to proclaim it on the first National Heritage Day."

December 9, National Heritage Day, marks the day when Seokguram Grotto, Bulguksa Temple, Haeinsa Janggyeong Panjeon, and Jongmyo Shrine were first inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage sites in Korea. It was designated to raise awareness of national heritage protection.