Temple Chief Monk Guarding the Temple and Wildfire Watcher Fighting the Flames... "So Heartbreaking"

Head Monk Seonjeong of Beopseongsa Temple in Yeongyang Found Dead
Wildfire Watcher Missing After Suppression Efforts Also Found Dead

A wildfire that started in Uiseong, Gyeongbuk, spread northeast, completely destroying a temple in Seokbo-myeon, Yeongyang-gun. Inside the burned temple building, the head monk Seonjeong (85) was found dead. On the 27th, Yonhap News reported that the Daeungjeon Hall of Beopseongsa Temple in Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongbuk, collapsed due to the fire on the 25th, and the monk was found dead in a building next to Daeungjeon the day before.

A wildfire that started in Uiseong, Gyeongbuk, spread northeast, and a temple in Seokbo-myeon, Yeongyang-gun, was completely burned down. Inside the charred temple building, the head monk, Seonjeong (85), was found dead. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Korean Buddhist Beophwa Sect, the monk had been practicing at the temple even before becoming the head monk of Beopseongsa in 2002. The fire broke out on the 25th. The temple is located deep in the mountains, making access difficult. After the wildfire passed, the temple area visited on the 27th was reduced to ashes. Daeungjeon was completely destroyed, and only a few buildings such as Geungnakjeon remained. The monk was found in a building next to Daeungjeon. The village chief told Yonhap News in an interview, "The fire spread too quickly, so there was no time to evacuate. The entire village became a sea of flames in five minutes."

He added, "The temple is located in the mountains, making access difficult, and even firefighters could not enter." Residents explained that Head Monk Seonjeong had been guarding the temple alone for a long time and maintained a close relationship with the village by sharing beds and food with neighbors in need. A villager named Han said, "Although he was elderly and had difficulty moving, it seems he stayed until the end," adding, "He was always generous to others."

Meanwhile, in Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongbuk, a wildfire watcher who went missing while deployed at the wildfire suppression site was found dead, adding to the tragedy. According to forestry authorities on the day, at around 11:50 a.m., wildfire watcher A (69) was found burned to death in a vehicle in Yeongdeok-eup, Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongbuk. The police reported that A was found collapsed a short distance from the vehicle.

On the 27th, a resident is watching a spreading wildfire at Geumbong Reservoir in Oksan-myeon, Uiseong-gun, Gyeongbuk. Photo by Yonhap News.

A was deployed to the Uiseong wildfire site on the 25th along with nine Yeongdeok wildfire suppression team members. After completing support for suppression, he returned to Yeongdeok at around 8:30 p.m. that day. After disbanding at the wildfire standby room next to Yeongdeok Culture and Sports Center that evening, he lost contact. The location where A was found is midway between Yeongdeok-eup and Yeonghae-myeon, where his home is located, and was an area severely affected when the wildfire spread widely across Yeongdeok on the night of the 25th. His family reported him missing to the police after he did not return home by the morning of the 26th. A police official said, "It is believed that he was engulfed by flames on the road while returning home after wildfire suppression work." A Yeongdeok-gun official said, "It appears he met with an accident while returning home after completing wildfire support activities."

Meanwhile, on the 27th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced that as of 5 a.m., the area affected by the wildfire was 36,009 hectares, marking the largest damage ever recorded. This wildfire has caused not only forest destruction and loss of cultural heritage but also the worst human casualties, with 26 deaths. Fortunately, the wildfires in Gimhae, Okcheon, and Eonyang, which had been reigniting, were brought under control thanks to the drizzle that fell nationwide. However, in Andong, Gyeongbuk, as the flames headed toward the city, an evacuation order was issued at 10:30 a.m. The containment rates in Yeongdeok and Yeongyang remain low. Approximately 37,000 people have been evacuated due to the wildfire, and damage to facilities including houses, factories, and cultural properties has been reported at 325 locations.