Haenam-gun Designates Four New Local Cultural Heritages Including 'Ogu Gut'

Ogu Gut, designated as a local cultural heritage of Haenam County (Photo by Haenam County)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan) announced on the 6th that it held a local cultural heritage review committee meeting on the 23rd of last month and newly designated four items?Haenam Ogu Gut, Hwasan Homijae, Hyeonsan Godasanseong, and Gwangbosa Jijangbosalbonwon-gyeong?as Haenam-gun local cultural heritage.

Since 2000, the county has been designating local cultural heritage among undesignated cultural properties in the area that have historical, academic, artistic, or scenic value. Including these four items, a total of 42 have been designated.

‘Haenam Ogu Gut,’ a type of ssitgim gut (ritual cleansing ceremony), is a traditional ritual of Haenam passed down by hereditary shamans of Haenam. Unlike the 11-string Jindo Ssitgim Gut, it consists of 12 strings including the myeongjul-danggi (life thread pulling) section.

It is preserved in its original form and features unique Haenam characteristics such as myeongjul-danggi, which connects the living and the dead, and sori gut, a vocal ritual leading the gut with narrative songs. It also won the Excellence Award at the 39th Jeonnam Folk Arts Festival.

‘Hwasan Homijae’ is a two-story, paljak-style roofed Jae-sil (ancestral shrine) of the Changnyeong Seong clan built in 1942. It exhibits an eclectic structure combining traditional Korean wooden architecture and Japanese construction techniques, recognized for its architectural and academic value as a rare example of a modern two-story Jae-gak building.

‘Hyeonsan Godasanseong,’ located on Seongmaesan in Hyeonsan-myeon, is an ancient coastal defense facility on the Haenam Peninsula, estimated to have been built between the Three Kingdoms period and the Goryeo Dynasty.

With a circumference of about 450 meters, the fortress walls remain close to their original form except for some parts in the south. Following expert recommendations to designate it as a provincial cultural property, the county plans to apply for designation after conducting academic research.

‘Gwangbosa Jijangbosalbonwon-gyeong’ consists of three volumes in one book of the Jijang Sutra, a fundamental scripture of Buddhist Jijang faith. The Gwangbosa edition is similar in form to Treasure No. 1104 and Treasure No. 1567 and is presumed to be a reprinted edition after 1474, when Kim Su-on wrote the colophon.

A county official stated, “It is meaningful that cultural heritage embodying the unique sentiment of our region has been recognized for its value,” and added, “We will continue to strive to have many historical and cultural resources in the region designated and preserved for inheritance.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.