Korea introduces filming guidelines to protect cultural heritage sites

Members of a production team from national broadcaster KBS hammer nails during a drama shooting at Byeongsan Seowon, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to hang a prop in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. Captured from architect Min Seo-hong's Instagram

Productions seeking to shoot films and TV shows at Korea’s nationally designated cultural heritage sites — including National Treasures, Treasures and Historic Sites — will now face stricter requirements to ensure the preservation of these locations.

Under the new guidelines issued by the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), Thursday, all film productions at cultural heritage sites must have on-site safety personnel. Also, to receive a filming permit they will have to submit a formal pledge affirming a commitment to heritage protection.

The introduction of these guidelines follows a recent controversy involving damage to Mandaeru Pavilion at Byeongsan Seowon in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province during a drama production. Byeongsan Seowon is one of nine surviving neo-Confucian academies to have been granted UNESCO World Heritage status, among hundreds surviving from the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty.

Broadcaster KBS faced a controversy in December 2024 for hammering nails into Mandaeru Pavilion and other parts of the site to install props while filming the upcoming drama "The First Night with the Duke" (tentative title). After acknowledging the issue, Andong City filed charges with the police against two related set decoration companies in January.

The restoration work has been postponed until next year as experts will spend a year observing the damage from the nails, judging that wood's natural contraction may allow the damaged areas to recover without excessive intervention.

"We have prepared these guidelines for filming within cultural heritage sites to prevent similar incidents in the future," the state-run agency said in a statement.

Byeongsan Seowon, a neo-Confucian academy from the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, is one of nine inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019. Courtesy of Korea Heritage Service

According to the new guidelines, those who want to shoot within nationally designated cultural heritage sites should submit a detailed filming plan and a pledge for protecting heritage in addition to the existing application for filming to the heads of local governments at least 15 days before filming begins in order to obtain permits.

In the cases of commercial productions, such as movies and dramas, or productions with 10 or more crew members, at least one safety supervisor for cultural heritage will be mandated.

This safety personnel must be qualified as "those with degrees in cultural heritage disciplines, including architecture, landscaping, history and archaeology or cultural heritage commentators belonging to the relevant local government."

Productions must also commit to taking both civil and criminal responsibility for any damage incurred to cultural heritage or facilities during filming.

To prevent further damage to historic sites, the guidelines explicitly prohibit hammering nails into wooden structures including the pillars of heritage buildings, installing metal objects such as screws or nails on stone foundations or other structural elements and bringing in materials that pose a fire or explosion hazard.

These guidelines aim to serve as a standardized reference for filming at cultural heritage sites.

"We have established standard procedures that can be referred to when issuing filming permits. We plan to use these as materials for pre-education and guidance on permit requirements," an official from the KHS said.