National Heritage Destroyed by Wildfire... Considering Evacuation of Buddha Statues Over 2m Tall

Two More Cases of National Heritage Damage Confirmed Compared to Yesterday
'Ulju Mokdo Evergreen Forest' Among Sites Burned

Damage to cultural heritage continues due to large-scale wildfires that have not subsided. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration on the 24th, as of 5 p.m. on that day, five cases of damage to national heritage caused by wildfires occurring across the country since the 21st have been confirmed. This is two more cases than at the same time the previous day.

Burnt Ulju Mokdo Evergreen Forest
[Photo by National Heritage Agency]

The newly damaged national heritage site is the natural monument 'Ulju Mokdo Evergreen Forest.' Out of the total area of approximately 15,000㎡, 1,000㎡ was burned. Mokdo is a small island located off the coast of Ulju. It is the only evergreen forest on the east coast of Korea, containing trees such as camellia, Korean red pine, evergreen holly, camphor tree, Korean spicebush, cherry tree, and hackberry.

The exact cause of the fire has not been determined. Access to Mokdo is only permitted by the Cultural Heritage Administration Director for management or academic purposes. A Cultural Heritage Administration official stated, "As a result of investigations conducted with Ulju County Office and fire authorities, damage occurred mainly to herbaceous plants and shrubs," adding, "We plan to check the condition of trees indirectly affected by heat and smoke during the fire and compare their growth status to initiate recovery treatment."

Damage also occurred to the cultural heritage site 'Unhwari Seongji' due to the wildfire in Ulju County, Ulsan. The exact extent of the damage has not yet been confirmed.

Burned Unhwari Sacred Site
Photo by National Heritage Agency

With the successive wildfires, an emergency has been declared for the safety of national heritage. To prevent damage from the wildfire in Uiseong, the Cultural Heritage Administration sprayed water on the natural monument 'Uiseong Sachon-ri Street Forest' and delivered fire-resistant firefighting fabric that does not burn to Uiseong County. Buddhist paintings, statues, and books at Gounsa Temple in Uiseong County were also relocated to other places. However, the treasure 'Uiseong Gounsa Stone Seated Buddha Statue' has not yet been evacuated. Since the statue is over 2 meters tall, the decision to move it will be made based on future circumstances.