60% of Wooden Cultural Heritage Sites Lack Fire Insurance... Even National Treasures Left Unprotected

Min Hyungbae, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

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As a series of wildfires increases the risk of fire to wooden cultural properties, it has been found that 6 out of 10 wooden cultural heritage sites nationwide are not covered by fire insurance. There are also a significant number of cases where even fire alarm systems, which are legally required, have not been installed.

According to audit materials submitted by Min Hyungbae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Gwangju Gwangsan-eul), to the National Heritage Administration on October 16, out of 244 wooden cultural heritage sites nationwide, 146 sites (59.8%) were not insured. Among these are 11 national treasures, including UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Haeinsa Janggyeong Panjeon.

Some temples have actually suffered fire damage while being uninsured. Magoksa Temple in Gongju and Gounsa Temple in Uiseong are such examples. Assemblyman Min pointed out, "While insurance is mandatory for state-owned properties, private cultural heritage sites are not subject to legal requirements, creating blind spots in management."

The fire alarm system is also inadequate. Of 223 treasures inspected, 27 sites (12.1%) had not installed automatic fire alarm notification systems, and 23 sites (10.3%) lacked even basic alarm devices such as flame, smoke, or heat detectors. These systems are essential for immediately notifying the fire department in the event of a fire, thereby securing crucial response time in the early stages.

Assemblyman Min emphasized, "Cultural heritage sites that lack even the legally mandated minimum safety devices are always at risk of fire. We must establish a thorough management system and address legal shortcomings to shift from a 'post-disaster recovery' approach to a 'prevention-centered' system for protecting cultural heritage."

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