The Korea Heritage Service (), formerly the Cultural Heritage Administration and Cultural Properties Administration, is the agency of the

South Korean government The government of South Korea () is the national government of the Republic of Korea, created by the Constitution of South Korea as the executive, legislative and judicial authority of the republic. The president acts as the head of state and ...

charged with preserving and promoting Korean cultural heritage. It is headquartered in the city of

Daejeon Daejeon (; ) is South Korea's list of cities in South Korea, fifth-largest metropolis, with a population of nearly 1.5 million. Located in a central lowland valley between the Sobaek Mountains and the Geum River, the city is known both as a ...

at the Daejeon Government Complex. Previously part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, it was elevated to a sub-ministerial agency in 1999.

History

The Cultural Properties Administration was formally established in October 1961, but descends from the Former Royal Properties Administration to the Office created in November 1945 at the beginning of American military rule to replace the Office of the Yi Dynasty. The 1962 Cultural Property Protection Law was modelled on the Japanese 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. On May 17, 2024, the Cultural Heritage Administration changed its name to "Korea Heritage Service". The name change also accompanied a reported structural overhaul.

Administration

In accordance with Article 2 of the 1962 Cultural Property Protection Law, cultural heritage is classified in four main categories: Tangible Cultural Heritage (including National Treasures); Intangible Cultural Heritage (including Important Intangible Cultural Heritage); Monuments (including Historic Sites, Scenic Sites, and Natural Monuments); and Folklore Cultural Heritage (including both tangible and intangible assets). In 2010, the CHA was involved with the Gwanghwamun restoration project, where a new name plate on the restored Gate was unveiled on the same day. However, cracks in the wooden plate were showing by early November, where a long vertical crack is visible on the left side of Hanja character "Gwang" and beneath "Hwa" in the middle. The Administration cited the dry autumn weather for the contraction of the wood, but experts differs on that an immature pine board was used to meet the deadline for completion and that the wood had not dried properly. After many debates, a repair to the cracks was made, and the Government commissioned a new name plate. 13 wooden boards for the new signboard were cut in September 2011 and have since undergone a natural drying process in Gangwon Province. However, in a survey of 5,000 people conducted by the Administration, 58.7 percent responded that the inscription should be in

Hangul The Korean alphabet is the modern writing system for the Korean language. In North Korea, the alphabet is known as (), and in South Korea, it is known as (). The letters for the five basic consonants reflect the shape of the speech organs ...

while 41.3 percent opted

Hanja Hanja (; ), alternatively spelled Hancha, are Chinese characters used to write the Korean language. After characters were introduced to Korea to write Literary Chinese, they were adapted to write Korean as early as the Gojoseon period. () ...

but the long-lost 1395 original was in

. A majority of experts consulted thought the sign should be carved as the original had been. In December 2012, following the folk song "

Arirang ''Arirang'' ( ) is a Korean folk song. There are about 3,600 variations of 60 different versions of the song, all of which include a refrain similar to "arirang, arirang, arariyo" (""). It is estimated that the song is more than 600 years old ...

" being inscribed on the

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance.Compare: This list is published by the Intergover ...

programme by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

, the Administration announced a five-year plan to promote and preserve the song. The plan is aim to support "Arirang" festivals by regional organizations, as well as building an archive for the song, exhibitions, fund research; of which it has allocated .

References

External links

Official website

Cultural Heritage Administration

Korean National Heritage Online
{{authority control Daejeon Government agencies of South Korea

History

Administration

See also

References

External links