Q&A Korea Heritage Service chief discusses cultural preservation in changing times, global outreach

Choi Eung-chon, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, which will be reborn as the Korea Heritage Serivce on Friday, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul, May 7. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Park Han-sol

• Published May 16, 2024 6:00 AM KST
• Updated May 16, 2024 6:00 AM KST

As the chief of the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), soon to be rebranded as the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) on May 17, Choi Eung-chon likens his role to a cultural equivalent of “the Army, Navy and Air Force, all combined together.”

“From conserving the soft coral habitats of Jeju Island to monitoring artifacts scattered across mountains and urban zones, the scope of my job naturally spans every nook and cranny of the country,” he told The Korea Times in an interview, May 7.

And with the comprehensive overhaul of his agency’s administrative structure and policies, now rooted in three expanded types of heritage — cultural, natural and intangible — his role is expected to become even more encompassing.

The new heritage classification system, coupled with revised regulations tailored to each category, aligns with the KHS’ goal of striking a more finely tuned balance between conservation and development.

In addition to outlining the revamped agency’s vision, the administrator shared updates on the vandalism case of Gyeongbok Palace from last December and discussed his initiative to renovate the tourist-targeted “hanbok” (traditional Korean attire) available near the royal palaces in Seoul.

Below is an excerpt of The Korea Times’ interview with Choi. It has been edited for clarity and readability.

Q. How does the KHS intend to achieve the delicate balance between safeguarding heritage and easing regulations, as stated in its vision?

A. Our primary objective is to refine the scope of excessive regulations in conservation areas to reduce public inconvenience without compromising heritage integrity, in line with the newly enacted act concerning the national heritage impact assessment.

Previously, historical and cultural preservation zones were designated uniformly within a 500-meter radius. As part of our regulatory reform two years ago, however, areas that have already been developed or densely populated have seen a reduction in radius. Of course, stringent measures are still enforced in places requiring rigorous conservation management. In essence, the designation now varies based on the zone's actual conditions and population density, rather than being applied indiscriminately.

The same goes for historic sites. In the past, these sites were designated based on somewhat haphazard and imprecise criteria, particularly during and after the 1910-45 Japanese colonial era. Moving forward, the agency plans to conduct extensive field surveys and excavations to distinguish areas with historical significance accurately from those without, so that regulations can be relaxed for the latter.

Additionally, to promote sustainable coexistence between national heritage sites and their local residents — such as Hahoe Village in Andong and Oeam Village in Asan — we are revising protective measures to allow for more flexible renovation of aging facilities.

Q. How will the KHS enhance the utilization and promotion of heritage items located overseas?

A. It’s important to recognize that not all Korean cultural assets overseas were looted or smuggled out of the country; some were gifted or legally exported. Some, like the Old Korean Legation building in Washington D.C., are meant to stay there. Therefore, rather than simply aiming for repatriation, it’s essential to explore strategies for collaborating with local institutions to utilize these artifacts practically in their adopted hometown.

These strategies could involve staging joint exhibitions, such as a recent digital show featuring a 19th-century folding screen, “Into the Seven Jeweled Mountain,” which unfolded simultaneously in Seoul and the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio. Alternatively, we could support restoration efforts or improve inadequate exhibition environments for items that are stuck in foreign museums’ vaults without seeing the light of day.

To advance such collaborative initiatives, the agency launched the “K-Shared Heritage” pilot project earlier this year. It is currently underway, focusing on artifacts in the collections of the National Library of France.

And to facilitate more effective on-site partnership, a European branch office will open in Paris later this year. This will complement our already-existing outposts in Japan and the U.S. It’s worth noting that around 49,000 artifacts, or nearly 20 percent of Korea’s total cultural heritage items overseas, are scattered throughout the continent.

Q. Coinciding with its structural overhaul, the agency has been striving to strengthen its international development cooperation in restoring the cultural heritage of developing nations. It has substantially increased the scale of its official development assistance (ODA) projects from 4.8 billion won to 13.1 billion won in just a year, for instance.

A. The leading donor countries of ODA in the field of cultural heritage restoration have long been the U.S., U.K., Japan and France. Drawing upon Korea’s expertise in heritage conservation technology, we’ve been involved in such projects since the early 2010s. This year, we are aiding Cambodia’s preservation of its famed Angkor Wat temple, as well as Egypt’s Ramesseum. Future plans include providing support to Peru’s Machu Picchu and Ghana’s Greater Accra Region. These endeavors offer a prime opportunity to raise global awareness of the KHS’ capabilities.

Moreover, following Korea’s election as a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee last year, we are currently considering the possibility of hosting the committee’s session in the country for the first time in 2026.

Q. Last December, Gyeongbok Palace suffered vandalism twice, with spray paint defacing its outer walls across nearly 40 meters. The agency subsequently announced its intention to seek compensation from the perpetrators to cover the estimated 100 million won ($73,000) restoration costs. What’s the latest on this matter?

A. Taking adamant and prompt action was crucial for us to show the public our zero-tolerance policy toward such acts of vandalism.

This marks the agency’s first attempt to directly pursue compensation from the vandalism suspects, in accordance with the reinforced Cultural Heritage Protection Act. There may be difficulties in claiming damages for the first incident, given that the primary instigator, who remotely instructed two accomplices, remains at large. Therefore, our focus will be on the perpetrator involved in the second incident, pending the prosecutor’s demand for sentencing. [Shortly after the interview, on May 13, a three-year prison term was sought.]

Q. You mentioned that one initiative the revamped agency will push ahead with this year is improvement of the hanbok costume rentals available around Seoul’s major royal palaces.

A. These days, if you observe the hanbok rented and worn by tourists around the palaces, you’ll notice how haphazardly styled some of them are. Some wear a scholar’s “gat” hat with a “gonryongpo” robe reserved for kings and royal family members, while others put on completely mismatched tops and bottoms. What’s more, the garments are all made in China. Photos of visitors wearing these outfits are being shared worldwide. I believe situations like this are what give power to China’s claim to hanbok, which represents the identity and values of Korea.

It has been over a decade since the agency waived admission fees for hanbok-wearing tourists to the palaces. Until now, there hasn’t been a mechanism to regulate the clothing rental shops that have sprung up randomly near these historical sites. Now is the time for the KHS to support the production and promotion of traditional hanbok styles that better meet our standards. We are thus preparing to collaborate with related government agencies, local authorities and private entities that share our mission. Of course, these costumes should be reasonably priced, with practical modular options.

Q. There have been recent meaningful intersections between Korea’s globally sought-after popular culture and its traditions — from BTS member RM’s involvement in the restoration of a rare century-old bridal costume known as “hwarot,” to actor Ryu Jun-yeol’s voice-over narration for the “Into the Seven Jeweled Mountain” exhibition. How do you perceive this evolving relationship between traditional and popular culture?

A. I believe that the global spread of K-everything is fundamentally rooted in the power of Korean heritage. And as more people around the world are drawn to the country’s popular culture, they are increasingly interested in its traditional charms as well. For instance, four of Seoul’s royal palaces, which served as backdrops for BTS’ 2020 performance and Gucci’s 2023 fashion show, have already attracted 4.9 million visitors as of April — an 18.7 percent increase from the previous year. The KHS will continue to explore ways for K-culture and K-heritage to complement each other in the future.