Additional Confirmation of National Heritage Wildfire Damage... Gounsa Seokjo Yeorae Jwasang and Others

Damage Also Reported at Juwang Valley Area and Sujeongsa Temple in Cheongsong

Additional damage to national heritage caused by wildfires occurring simultaneously across the country is being confirmed. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration on the 1st, the number of reported damage cases counted by 5 p.m. that day was thirty-three. As on-site investigations continue, this is three more cases than the count four days ago.

Yonhap News

One of these is the treasure 'Uiseong Gounsa Stone Seated Buddha Statue.' The Buddha statue was moved to a place where the flames did not reach, but the pedestal (臺座) supporting it could not be relocated and was burned. The scenic site 'Cheongsong Juwangsan Juwang Valley area' lost part of the pine forest on the northern ridge. The annex building, Yosachae, of the main hall at Sujeongsa Temple in Cheongsong was completely destroyed by fire.

Twenty-four artifacts (1,581 items) held by major temples and ancestral homes such as Bongjeongsa Temple in Andong and Gounsa Temple in Uiseong have been moved to nearby museum storage facilities. The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to inspect their preservation status and then safely transport them back to their original locations. Standards and guidelines related to fire-retardant tarps will also be established. Fire-retardant tarps are fabrics treated to prevent fire from spreading beyond a certain area even if flames touch them. Currently, there are no specific standards or guidelines for their installation. An official stated, "It is necessary to thoroughly verify their effectiveness, so a research project is underway."

Meanwhile, the Cultural Heritage Administration plans to maintain the national heritage disaster crisis alert at the 'severe' level for the time being. An official said, "We will establish a restoration plan after further on-site investigations."