Continuous Heavy Rainfall Causes Widespread Damage to National Heritage Sites Including Seokguram Grotto

Buyeo Royal Tombs and Yun Bonggil Memorial Site Also Damaged
National Heritage Crisis Alert Raised to 'Warning'

Continuous heavy rainfall since the 16th has caused widespread damage to national heritage sites.

Damage to the Treasure 'Seosan Gaesimsa Daeungjeon'

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the morning of July 18 that, as of 9 a.m., five cases of damage to national heritage sites had been confirmed due to the heavy rain. There was one case each involving a National Treasure and a Treasure, and three cases involving Historic Sites. By region, South Chungcheong Province (Chungnam) had the most cases with four, while the remaining case was in North Gyeongsang Province (Gyeongbuk).

The National Treasure that sustained damage is the Seokguram Grotto in Gyeongju. Part of the slope in the area leading to the site was washed away. Access is currently restricted, and temporary safety measures such as the installation of safety lines have been completed.

In the Seosan area of Chungnam, where more than 400mm of rain fell, soil and debris flowed into the grounds of the Treasure 'Seosan Gaesimsa Daeungjeon.' To prevent further damage, the Cultural Heritage Administration and Seosan City have temporarily installed protective coverings and plan to establish a restoration plan in the future.

Damage to the historic site 'Buyeo Naseong'

In Buyeo, Chungnam, part of the slope of the Dong-sang Tomb, which is part of the 'Buyeo Royal Tombs,' a royal tomb cluster from the Baekje Sabi period, was washed away, and some sections of the Naseong city wall also suffered damage. The Buyeo Royal Tombs and Naseong are part of the 'Baekje Historic Areas,' which were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

At the Yun Bonggil Memorial Site in Yesan, Chungnam, soil and debris were washed out in several places, including near the entrance road.

The Cultural Heritage Administration has been operating the national heritage crisis alert level at 'Warning' since 5 p.m. the previous day. An official stated, "We have requested each city and province to restrict access to national heritage sites near areas at risk of landslides," and added, "We are currently monitoring the damage situation in real time."