박상수
| 2025-03-28 19:24:33
(LEAD) wildfire damage-heritage sites
(LEAD) Wildfire damage to heritage sites reaches 30 cases
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SEOUL, March 28 (Yonhap) -- Thirty cases of damage to cultural heritage sites, including a centuries-old pavilion, from raging wildfires in southeastern regions have been reported, the Korea Heritage Service said Friday.
Damaged sites include Yakgye Pavilion in Andong and Gigokjesa, a ritual house in Cheongsong, both dating back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Both have been entirely destroyed by the flames.
The stone seated Buddha statue at Manjang Temple in Uiseong, which originated in the Unified Silla period (668-918), sustained partial scorching from the wildfires.
North Gyeongsang Province, which encompasses the regions heavily affected by the fires, is home to numerous ancient temples and historic houses.
The state agency has stepped up efforts to safeguard historic artifacts and buildings from fire risks by implementing emergency measures, including applying water and installing fire-resistant covers.
Earlier in the day, massive wildfires that ravaged North Gyeongsang Province for a week were fully contained, authorities said.
In South Korea's worst-ever wildfire disaster, a wave of forest fires has devastated southeastern regions, including South Gyeongsang Province, since last Friday, killing at least 28 people, injuring 37 and forcing some 38,000 people to flee, according to the government's disaster response agency.
In North Gyeongsang Province alone, around 45,157 hectares of land were burned, equivalent to more than 63,000 soccer fields.
Taking the wildfires in both North and South Gyeongsang provinces together, about 48,000 hectares of woodland have been scorched, roughly 80 percent of the size of Seoul.
It is nearly 25,000 hectares more than the 23,794 hectares damaged by the east coast wildfires in 2000, which were the worst in the nation's history at the time.
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