Nineteen cultural heritage sites damaged by heavy rain

A total of 19 cases of damage to nationally recognized cultural heritage sites and items have been damaged by the heavy rain in the Greater Seoul area this week, the Cultural Heritage Administration reported Wednesday.

Major mountain fortresses partially collapsed, while trees dating back hundreds of years were overturned with their branches broken.

Burial mounds and stone works have been washed away. Walking trails at cultural heritage locations’ flooded within hours, which were shut down immediately to restrict public access for safety reasons.

A 400-year-old ginko tree at the Munmyo Confucian Shrine near Sungkyunkwan University in Jongno-gu, Seoul, suffered damage to a branch measuring 30 centimeters in diameter. The ginko tree has been a designated natural monument since 1962.

The surface of the mound on Yeongbinmyo Royal Tomb in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, has been washed away. Yeongbin was the royal concubine of the 19th King Sukjong of Joseon era.

In Yangju’s Olleung of Gyeonggi Province, a natural drainage ditch in front of the Hongsalmun gate collapsed.

Two pine trees and a willow tree fell in Seolleung and Jeongneung, located in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. The flooded entrance to the burial ground of King Seongjong also needs restoration.

The CHA’s emergency restoration work began Tuesday afternoon, while the agency is in contact with local governments to identify the current status of and further damage to any cultural heritage sites.

The government’s emergency restoration budget allocated for cultural heritage is set at 1.886 billion won ($1.442 million), according to the CHA.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)