"Protecting the Millennium-old Temple" Magoksa Monks Take the Wheel of Fire Trucks

At the fire truck donation ceremony held on the 29th at Magoksa Temple in Sagok-myeon, Gongju City, attendees are taking a group photo. Provided by Chungnam Province

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Monks of Magoksa Temple take the wheel of a fire truck. The purpose is to equip themselves with firefighting capabilities in preparation for any possible fire emergencies.

Chungnam Province recently announced on the 30th that it held a fire truck donation ceremony between the Gongju Fire Station Volunteer Fire Brigade Association and the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism’s Magoksa Temple.

Magoksa Temple is a cultural heritage site registered as a UNESCO World Heritage. The donation of the fire truck was made to establish an initial response system in case a fire breaks out at Magoksa.

The donated fire truck was recently used by the Sagok-myeon Volunteer Fire Brigade under Gongju Fire Station for fire scene dispatches. It is a multipurpose vehicle capable of handling both building fires and forest fire suppression.

In addition to the fire truck, more than 40 pieces of equipment across 11 types, including fire hoses, fire extinguishers, firefighting gear, and personal protective equipment such as fire-resistant suits, were also donated to Magoksa.

Going forward, various equipment including the fire truck will be directly operated by 21 self-defense firefighters composed of Magoksa monks to extinguish fires.

To this end, Gongju Fire Station will conduct operation training on fire truck handling and the use of firefighting equipment for Magoksa’s self-defense firefighters until June 1st.

Meanwhile, Magoksa, the head temple of the Jogye Order’s 6th district, is a thousand-year-old temple founded in 640 AD by the revered monk Jajang Yulsa. It holds 21 cultural assets, including 7 treasures such as Yeongsanjeon Hall and 8 tangible cultural properties, making it one of Korea’s representative temples.

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