Iksan City, All-Out Effort to Restore Cultural Heritage Flood Damage

Baekje Tomb Ipjeom-ri Burial Mound and Mireuksaji Area Slope Erosion

Urgent Repair Budget and Climate Change Manual Restoration Design Support Requested

Iksan City in Jeonbuk is putting all its efforts into restoring Baekje cultural heritage damaged by record-breaking heavy rains.

On the 21st, the city announced that it has collaborated with cultural heritage repair companies to quickly complete temporary measures such as securing passageways and installing rain tarps, and has applied for an emergency repair budget.

The average rainfall in the Iksan area during the heavy rain was 455mm, with the highest being 595.5mm in Hamra-myeon, causing more than ten cases of large and small cultural heritage damages at Mireuksaji, Ipjeom-ri tumulus, and other sites.

Iksan City is restoring Baekje cultural heritage sites damaged by record-breaking heavy rainfall.
[Photo provided by Iksan City]

On the 14th, when the slope soil was washed away and trees fell on the access road section to Simgoksa Temple in the Mireuksaji cultural heritage area, the city immediately deployed excavator equipment to secure the passageway and installed rain tarps to prevent further damage.

On the same day, the Ipjeom-ri tumulus located in Ungpo-myeon near the Geumgang River suffered significant damage due to the heavy rain of up to 595.5mm in nearby Hamra-myeon. Soil erosion around the 'Baekje-era tomb tumulus' and partial collapse of the stone drainage channel along the trail were reported.

The city completed soil erosion prevention measures by installing rain tarps and sandbags, and sought emergency repair measures including reconstruction of the tumulus soil erosion and drainage stone structures.

At the Wanggung-ri site, the heavy rain exceeded the drainage capacity, flooding some sections of the western palace area, but pre-maintenance of drainage pumps for the heavy rain ensured smooth drainage.

Additionally, minor damages such as tree falls in the Nabawi Cathedral cultural heritage area in Mangseong-myeon, soil erosion of the fence around the Kim Byung-soon old house in Hamra-myeon, and damages to nationally registered cultural properties were reported and restoration measures are underway.

The city is preparing to apply for an emergency repair budget from the Cultural Heritage Administration for large-scale urgent damage areas such as the Simgoksa Temple access road in the Mireuksaji cultural heritage area and the Ipjeom-ri tumulus. The cost is currently being calculated, and the city plans to secure a restoration budget to prevent secondary damage and proceed with construction within a short period.

Meanwhile, minor damages such as fence erosion and tree falls are being immediately repaired using the cultural heritage care project and the city’s own emergency repair funds.

A city official stated, "The prompt restoration of Baekje cultural heritage, which has been preserved for over 1,600 years, must be carried out," adding, "In response to the rapidly changing climate crisis, much support is needed to ensure restoration designs follow new crisis response manuals for cultural heritage protection."

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