[2025 Audit] 60% of Wooden Cultural Heritage Sites Lack Fire Insurance... Including National Treasures

Twenty-seven Sites Lack Automatic Fire Alarm Systems

Firestorm Sweeps Through Gounsa Temple Yonhap News

Wildfires have been growing in scale every year, yet more than half of the nation's wooden cultural heritage sites remain uninsured against fire. There are also significant deficiencies in basic safety equipment, such as automatic fire alarm systems, raising concerns that "burning heritage sites" could be repeated at any time.

According to data released on October 16 by Assemblyman Min Hyungbae of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, 146 out of 244 wooden cultural heritage sites nationwide (59.8%) are not covered by fire insurance. This includes eleven National Treasures, and even UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Janggyeong Panjeon at Haeinsa Temple are not exempt.

Actual fires have occurred at uninsured sites such as Magoksa Temple in Gongju and Gounsa Temple in Uiseong. Currently, state- and publicly-owned cultural heritage sites are required by the Enforcement Decree of the State Property Act and the Enforcement Decree of the Public Property and Commodity Management Act to have insurance. However, privately-owned heritage sites are not subject to such regulations, resulting in an ongoing institutional gap.

The situation regarding safety equipment is even more concerning. An inspection of 223 wooden structures classified as Treasures revealed that 27 sites (12.1%) lacked the legally required automatic fire alarm systems. Of these, 23 sites (10.3%) did not even have basic alarm devices such as flame, smoke, or heat detectors installed.

Automatic fire alarm systems are essential equipment that automatically notify the fire department in the event of a fire, ensuring a prompt initial response. The Act on the Preservation and Utilization of Cultural Heritage and the Act on Installation and Management of Firefighting Facilities mandate the installation of such systems in wooden structures designated as National Treasures or Treasures.

Assemblyman Min stated, "Cultural heritage sites that lack even the minimum safety measures required by law are, in effect, left defenseless," adding, "We must establish a thorough management system and address legal shortcomings to shift toward a prevention-focused system for protecting cultural heritage."