Gangwon Province Designates Gamrosa Temple in Samcheok as Traditional Temple for the First Time in 9 Years, Enhancing Cultural Prestige

49th Traditional Temple in the Province, First New Designation of the 8th Popularly Elected Administration
Final Approval Achieved Through Swift Response to Conditional Designation Notice

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced on September 23 that Gamrosa Temple in Samcheok has been officially designated as a "Traditional Temple" by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

View of Gamrosa Temple. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Government

Now recognized as the 49th traditional temple in the province, Gamrosa Temple is located on the slopes of Botasan Mountain in Jeongsang-dong, Samcheok. Since its founding in 1960, it has served as a center of Buddhism in the region for 60 years. The temple preserves various Buddhist cultural heritages, including the Daeungjeon Hall and Nahanjeon Hall, which were constructed using traditional architectural methods.

This designation marks the first new addition since Sokcho Bogwangsa Temple in 2016, and the first during the 8th popularly elected administration in the province.

Traditional temples are designated through a review by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in accordance with the "Act on the Preservation and Support of Traditional Temples." Once designated, temples become eligible for national funding to support the repair and maintenance of aging facilities, the establishment of disaster prevention systems, and other initiatives that enhance their safety and historical and cultural value.

The province actively supported the designation process by demonstrating the Buddhist, cultural, artistic, and architectural value of Gamrosa Temple through on-site investigations and the preparation of supporting materials.

In particular, after receiving a conditional designation notice from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on June 25-requiring the removal of certain facilities that detracted from the temple’s appearance-the province and Gamrosa Temple responded promptly and faithfully fulfilled the conditions, resulting in the final designation being confirmed on September 18.

Additionally, during the investigation for this traditional temple designation, the "Gammoyeojaedo" painting-whose creation date and artist are clearly documented-was discovered, and the province is considering designating it as a tangible cultural heritage asset.

Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, stated, "With this designation, we have secured national funding, which will allow us to manage the temple more systematically. We will continue to communicate with the religious community and provide field-oriented support moving forward."

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