490 Bil. Won to Restore Royal Tombs of Joseon

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Around 490 billion won is expected to be used for the restoration of the 40 royal tombs of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), which were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site last June.

The amount will be spent to renovate the royal tombs, as well as create new facilities for tourists, through 2025.

There will be more efforts to promote the royal tombs, create tour programs, and build facilities such as toilets and rest areas for tourists around the royal tomb sites. These projects will be started in phases next year through 2015.

Lee Gun-mo, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, said yesterday the projects are based on the recommendations given by the UNESCO when the royal tombs were designed as heritage sites.

The short-term projects will be implemented from 2010 to 2015, while the long-term restoration of the tombs will run from 2016 to 2025. Basic plans include restoring the damaged tombs, preserving their historical identity and instituting measures to prevent fires and further damage to the facilities.

In December, there will be a special exhibition introducing the royal tombs to the public at an exhibition hall near Taegangneung, Gongneung-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul.

The royal tombs of the Joseon Kingdom were included on the UNESCO World Heritage list last June. They now represent Korea's ninth UNESCO-designated treasure.

The 40 tombs are scattered over 18 locations in Seoul and Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces, and were built over five centuries from 1409 to 1966. They house 27 generations of the kingdom's kings, queens, and posthumously designated rulers.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

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