A male high school student was criminally charged with vandalism or destruction of public property after scribbling on a national treasure in July of last year. The high school student had allegedly gone on a school field trip to Ulju-gu in Ulsan, and based on a dare, wrote his friend’s name on National Treasure No. 147-- Cheonjeonri Petroglyphs. A year after this incident, he was booked without detention. Authorities at the Ulju-gun had only themselves to blame for not noticing the vandalism a year later.

This recent case of vandalism highlights the issue of protection of the country’s historical buildings.

Incidents involving the destruction of cultural remnants strip the country of its traditional heritage. Cases of arson, vandalism and poor maintenance plague national treasures all over the country. For example, the Taehari Gwangseomyeong Gakseokmun, an engraved stone found in Taehari, Ulleung-do, has been neglected and damaged over the past few decades. This cultural heritage is not designated as a cultural asset yet despite its historical significance. The original engraving on the stone was partially erased and its surrounding was under construction. There are some residents of the island who are not even aware of its existence.

The Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul, despite being named as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, does not remain unscathed. About 50 fifty arch-stones at the Path in Honor of the Kings were damaged by a crane while moving a tree. This accident was attributed to negligence and lack of protective measures. After this incident, the Cultural Heritage Administration went on with the road repairs without checking the original layout. Eventually, the shrine’s layout was completely altered since restoration of the original form is more difficult.

The destruction of the country’s cultural assets must be prevented in the future. We must be aware of the historical importance of cultural heritage and protect traditional buildings.

Kim Do-yeon  taky91@naver.com

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