Gangjin County to Invest 14.5 Billion Won in Restoration of National Treasure Muwisa Geungnakbojeon

Completion by 2030... Shedding New Light on Historical Value

Gangjin County in Jeollanam-do (Governor Kang Jinwon) announced on the 27th that Muwisa Geungnakbojeon has been selected as the target of the largest-scale restoration project in history and that the project has officially begun.

The county has secured a total budget of 14.5 billion KRW for this project, of which 11.9 billion KRW comes from national and provincial government support. Given that the project period spans seven years, additional funding is expected in the future. Excluding the restoration of Jeolla Byeongyeongseong, this is the largest cultural heritage maintenance project in Gangjin.

Muwisa Geungnakbojeon, which holds 600 years of history, was designated as a National Treasure in 1962 and is regarded as an important architectural heritage that showcases early Joseon Dynasty architectural style. However, due to its long history, structural issues have arisen, and since 2022, a plan to completely dismantle and repair Geungnakbojeon has been under consideration.

Looking at the repair history of Muwisa Geungnakbojeon, after its construction in 1430, two large-scale repairs have taken place, with the most recent restoration carried out in 1983.

Muwisa Geungnakbojeon. Provided by Gangjin County

This project is the largest-scale restoration in 40 years, and it is expected that records such as Jungsubi or Sangnyangmun may be discovered during the dismantling and repair process. Through this, new materials of high historical value, such as the construction process of Geungnakbojeon, reasons for its restoration, and the list of patrons, are anticipated to be revealed.

The dismantling and restoration of a National Treasure-level cultural asset is an issue approached with great caution by the National Heritage Administration. As the project requires a large budget and a long period of time, the restoration process will be transparently disclosed and continuously monitored on-site. In particular, as the restoration progresses, newly discovered cultural values are expected to attract both domestic and international attention.

The project aims to be completed by 2030, with a plan to dismantle and restore the entire Geungnakbojeon and determine repair directions through detailed investigations at each stage. In addition, the interior rear wall murals will be preserved after dismantling and relocation.

Last year, Gangjin County secured a record-high 279.5 billion KRW in national and provincial government funds. Considering the challenging financial situation, the county is making every effort to secure government funding again this year to resolve long-standing wishes of its residents.

At the beginning of last year, the county reorganized its administration to establish a National and Provincial Funding Team within the Planning and Public Relations Division and holds related meetings presided over by the governor as needed. Governor Kang Jinwon is making every effort, frequently visiting Jeollanam-do, the National Assembly, and key government ministries.

Governor Kang said, "I am pleased to commence the dismantling and restoration project of Geungnakbojeon. Every time there was a natural disaster like a typhoon, I was deeply concerned about potential damage to Geungnakbojeon," and added, "We will not stop our efforts to preserve Geungnakbojeon, even if it requires significant cost and time investment."

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