Cultural Heritage Administration to Remove National Treasure and Treasure Numbers and Create a Data Dam

'Vision for Cultivating and Enjoying Cultural Heritage with the People' Work Plan Announcement
Relaxation of Building Regulations around Cultural Properties... Installation and Operation of Drone Stations
Promotion of World Heritage Registration for 'Gaya Tumuli' and Others... Establishment of World Heritage International Interpretation Center

The designation number of cultural heritage is not a criterion for value judgment. It is merely a number assigned according to the order of designation. However, many people still rank cultural heritage based on this. Even now, there are calls to change National Treasure No. 1 from Sungnyemun (Namdaemun) to the Hunminjeongeum Haerye edition.

To dispel misunderstandings, the Cultural Heritage Administration will eliminate the cultural heritage designation numbers. On the 8th, it announced this year's work plan containing this content at a briefing room in the Government Complex Daejeon. An official stated, "The cultural heritage designation numbers will be used only for management purposes, and a new protection system including non-designated cultural heritage will be established."

Going forward, the use of cultural heritage designation numbers will be restricted in official documents, websites, and so on. The notation on textbooks, road signs, and cultural heritage information boards will also be discontinued. The new protection system will be established through laws and systems reflecting demands such as modern and contemporary heritage, natural heritage, and underwater cultural heritage within the existing scope of cultural heritage. The official explained, "The enactment of the Basic Cultural Heritage Act, which contains the principles and basic directions of cultural heritage administration, will be promoted."

On the 23rd, one day before the major national holiday Chuseok, citizens are taking commemorative photos in front of a large full moon sculpture installed at a crosswalk near Sungnyemun in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The vision of this work plan is "60 years of cultural heritage policy, cultivating and enjoying cultural heritage with the people." The Cultural Heritage Administration will implement fifteen major tasks to promote four strategies: ▲Creating future value of cultural heritage ▲Complete preservation and transmission of cultural heritage ▲Cultural heritage enriching life ▲Our heritage enjoyed together with the world.

To create future value of cultural heritage, it will foster new industries, establish an industrial ecosystem foundation through domestic and international case surveys, classification systems for cultural heritage, and grounds for industrial promotion. A data dam will also be created to digitally store and manage cultural heritage information.

The Cultural Heritage Administration will also ease regulations on construction activities around cultural heritage areas. Until now, residents in cultural heritage areas had to endure inconveniences in exercising property rights and daily life due to provisions on construction regulations in the Cultural Heritage Protection Act. The Administration will attempt revisions tailored to residents, including environmental improvement, welfare enhancement, support for educational and cultural facilities, and tax benefits. The scope of land compensation will also be expanded to allow compensation for losses due to preservation measures for buried cultural heritage. An official said, "We will reorganize standards such as construction activities within historical and cultural environment preservation areas and promote pilot projects for historical and cultural environment preservation management plans linked with district unit plans and urban regeneration projects."

On the third day of the Lunar New Year holiday, February 4th, Gyeongbokgung Palace in Jongno-gu, Seoul, is bustling with tourists. To celebrate the Lunar New Year, the Cultural Heritage Administration is offering free admission without any holidays to the Four Grand Palaces, Jongmyo Shrine, Joseon Royal Tombs, and historic site management offices until February 6th. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The Cultural Heritage Administration will also establish a cultural heritage safety and disaster prevention system based on advanced technology and field operations. Drone stations will be installed and operated at nine sites including the Seongju Seongsandong tumulus cluster, and technologies such as departure alerts for movable cultural heritage management zones will be developed. Additionally, the Administration will stabilize the human foundation by replenishing vulnerable intangible cultural heritage transmission categories and discover new categories such as Makgeolli brewing, rice cake making, mudflat fishing, and Hanbok culture.

The Administration will also focus on utilizing cultural heritage for public healing and recovery. Forest trails within Joseon royal tombs such as Jangneung in Paju will be maintained, and the contactless entry system applied to palaces and Joseon royal tombs will be expanded. An "AI robot guide" equipped with interpretation and quarantine functions will also be introduced at the National Palace Museum of Korea. An official said, "We will invite culturally marginalized groups to palaces and produce braille leaflets and sign language interpretation videos so that more people can enjoy cultural heritage."

Efforts to strengthen the global status of our heritage will continue. The registration of UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Gaya Tumuli Cluster will be promoted, and an International Interpretation Center for World Heritage will be established to contribute to conflict resolution in the international community. Furthermore, technical support for overseas cultural heritage will be expanded, including producing content utilizing the Gandhara heritage in Pakistan, and overseas real estate cultural heritage will be made a hub for promoting Korean culture with various exhibitions and events.

Cultural heritage exchanges with North Korea will also be expedited. An official said, "We plan to establish legal and policy foundations to activate exchanges and promote joint registration of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) World Heritage between the South and North, aiming to induce cooperation from the North and support from the international community."

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