261 Seoul Cultural Heritage Sites to Undergo 'Health Check-ups'

Grading Ranges from A to F Based on Preservation Status

A total of 261 city-designated cultural heritage sites in Seoul will undergo "health check-ups" starting this year. Through these inspections, the preservation status of each site will be determined and used as a reference for future restoration or utilization plans.

On May 15, Seoul City announced that it will conduct regular inspections of 261 designated cultural heritage sites over a three-year plan starting in 2025. This fourth round of regular inspections is the largest ever, as it adds 43 newly designated sites to the existing 218 city-designated cultural heritage sites.

Seoul City is conducting on-site investigations of city-designated cultural heritage. Provided by Seoul City

The sites to be inspected include 160 tangible cultural heritage sites, 28 folk cultural heritage sites, 11 registered cultural heritage sites, 25 cultural heritage materials, 28 monuments, and 9 natural heritage sites. The inspections will be tailored according to the characteristics of each designated heritage type. For real estate heritage such as temples, the focus will be on structural safety, including photo documentation, visual inspection, and crack measurements. For movable heritage such as paintings, the inspection will closely examine material-specific issues like mold and microbial damage. For natural heritage, a comprehensive inspection will be conducted according to environmental characteristics such as plant life and geology.

Based on the inspection results, each site will be graded from A to F according to its preservation status. In last year’s inspection, 118 sites received an A grade, meaning they were well-preserved and required no additional action, making it the most common result. No sites received an F grade, which would indicate the need for immediate repair or maintenance.

Based on the results of this inspection, the city plans to develop restoration and maintenance plans for cultural heritage sites found to be vulnerable in terms of preservation. In addition, various initiatives will be prepared to help citizens engage more closely with cultural heritage. Kyung Ja-in, head of Seoul City’s Cultural Heritage Utilization Division, stated, “This inspection is like a ‘health check-up’ to ensure that our precious cultural heritage is passed down intact to future generations,” and added, “We earnestly ask for the active participation of designated heritage owners in preserving Seoul’s cultural heritage, which will become a source of pride for our citizens.”