Gyeongju City Acquires 'Songok-dong and Mulcheon-ri Ruins' Owned by Korea Racing Authority ... MOU with Gyeongbuk Province and Cultural Heritage Administration

Gyeongju City, the Cultural Heritage Administration, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Korea Racing Authority are taking a commemorative photo after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the preservation and utilization of the 'Gyeongju Songok-dong and Mulcheon-ri Sites' in the small conference room of Gyeongju City Council on the 18th. / Provided by Gyeongju City

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-ho] Gyeongju City announced on the 18th that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the preservation and utilization of the 'Gyeongju Songok-dong and Mulcheon-ri Relics' together with the Cultural Heritage Administration, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, and Korea Racing Authority.

The signing ceremony held in the small conference room of the Gyeongju City Council was attended by Gyeongju Mayor Ju Nak-young, Cultural Heritage Administration Commissioner Jeong Jae-sook, Deputy Governor Kang Seong-jo, and Korea Racing Authority Chairman Kim Nak-soon.

The Gyeongju Songok-dong and Mulcheon-ri relics were once a site of controversy between development and preservation due to plans to build a racetrack.

As a result of trial and excavation surveys, important kilns, tombs, and pottery that can reveal industrial production activities and daily life during the Silla period were discovered, raising the preservation value. Subsequently, on April 28, 2001, the site was designated as Historic Site No. 430, and the plan to build the Gyeongju racetrack was canceled. Since then, for 20 years, maintenance and utilization as cultural heritage have not been carried out, leading to the present situation.

Through this agreement, Gyeongju City and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province plan to purchase the site from the Korea Racing Authority and implement a comprehensive maintenance plan based on a basic investigation of the relics.

Mayor Ju Nak-young of Gyeongju emphasized, "Through this agreement, Gyeongju City will strive to break away from the framework of cultural heritage systems that were perceived as obstacles to regional development and make cultural heritage a model case that can further revitalize the region."

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