According to the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, as of 9 a.m. on March 26, 15 historical artifacts, including woodblock prints and Buddhist paintings, had been removed from important temples such as Bongjeong Temple in Andong and Buseok Temple in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, due to the seriousness of the forest fire that has lasted for the past week.
South Korea is facing the worst forest fire disaster in its history.
These temples are among the seven Buddhist monasteries recognized by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage under the category "Sansa - Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea".
Among the 15 artifacts relocated, 10 are national treasures, notably the stone seated Buddha statue from Goun Temple in Uiseong County – a temple over 1,000 years old that was completely burned down. In addition, five other tangible cultural heritage artifacts were also brought to a safe place.
Goun Temple, built more than 1,000 years ago during the Silla Dynasty (57 BC - 935 AD), was burned down by fire at around 4:50 p.m. (local time) on March 25.
The agency also recorded eight cases of heritage damage due to the wildfire, but a more detailed assessment is still needed. Among them, Yeongsu Hall and Gaunru Pavilion at Goun Temple were completely burned down. The temple has a total of 30 structures, but only nine of them escaped the fire.
As of 5 p.m. on March 26, 15 national heritage sites had been damaged, including 11 national heritage sites and four city or provincial heritage sites. The affected artifacts were mainly concentrated in the Uiseong, Andong and Cheongsong areas, which suffered the most damage from the fire.
As of 5 p.m. on March 26, 15 national heritages had been damaged, including 11 national heritages and four city or provincial heritages.
To reduce the risk of fire, authorities have covered several important structures with fireproof tarpaulins, including Geungnakjeon in Bongjeong Temple - believed to be the oldest wooden building in Korea.
In addition, two important UNESCO sites, Hahoe Village and Byeongsan Seowon (both in Andong city), are also being closely monitored, as the fire is approaching the area.
Officials wrap a Buddha statue in fireproof blankets to protect it from a fire at Goun Temple (Uiseong)
The wildfires began on March 21 in South Gyeongsang Province and spread due to strong winds and dry weather. According to the latest information, at least 27 people have died, including several firefighters and local residents. About 37,000 people have been evacuated, with more than 16,700 still staying in temporary shelters. The South Korean government has declared a national disaster and mobilized firefighters and helicopters to control the situation.
This is the worst forest fire disaster in the country's history, causing serious damage to people, property and infrastructure. Although many heritage sites have been damaged, experts and authorities are still trying to protect the remaining structures, and at the same time assess the extent of the damage to plan for restoration after the fire is extinguished.
As of the afternoon of March 27, at least 27 people had died in the fire.
