A civic group said Wednesday it discovered 97 objects believed to be artifacts at the construction site for Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province's new headquarters in Dongnaemyeon, Chuncheon.
The Chuncheon Jungdo Prehistoric Site Preservation Committee, known as the Jungdo Preservation Committee, said it made the discovery during a site inspection Tuesday and reported the findings the following day.
The group filed a report with the Cultural Heritage Administration's archaeological excavation division under the title "Emergency: Report of Discovery of Large Quantities of Buried Cultural Heritage at Gangwon Province New Headquarters Construction Site and Urgent Request for Preservation Measures."
Attached to the report were two photo registers dated Tuesday — one documenting buried heritage found at sites where excavation had already been completed and backfilled, and another covering sites where detailed excavation had not yet been conducted.
Of the 97 objects, 67 were found at sites previously declared fully excavated and backfilled — comprising three objects believed to be stone tools, five believed to be roof tiles, and 59 believed to be earthenware or pottery. The remaining 30 were found at sites that had not undergone detailed excavation, including nine believed to be roof tiles and 21 believed to be earthenware or pottery.
The committee called on the Cultural Heritage Administration to conduct a direct on-site inspection and take legally required preservation measures.
If the objects are confirmed as cultural heritage, construction of the new provincial headquarters would have to be suspended.
According to the committee, the Cultural Heritage Administration had already issued clear instructions to Gangwon Province in an official notice dated July 23 — document No. Yujeok Balgul-gwa-10583 — notifying the province that excavation was complete. That notice stated: "If any remains or artifacts suspected of being national heritage are discovered during construction … construction must be immediately halted without altering the site, and our agency must be notified."
"This time, 97 objects believed to be artifacts were found at the actual construction site — including 30 discovered at areas that had not undergone detailed excavation, as well as objects from sites already declared fully excavated and backfilled," the committee said. "Construction should therefore not continue based solely on previous survey results. A direct on-site inspection must be conducted and the necessary preservation and investigative measures must be taken."
The committee also said a review of the areas that had not undergone detailed excavation was necessary.
The Cultural Heritage Administration had authorized detailed excavation of only 6,598 square meters out of the total survey area, through official notice No. Yujeok Balgul-gwa-1002 issued May 19. The committee said 30 objects believed to be artifacts were nonetheless found at areas outside the scope of that authorized excavation.
The committee made eight specific requests: immediate suspension of construction and preservation of the discovery sites; a direct on-site inspection by the Cultural Heritage Administration; an on-site review with the participation of those who made the discovery; expert examination of the discovered objects; re-examination of the excavated and backfilled sites where 67 objects were found; detailed excavation of the sites where the 30 objects were found without prior detailed survey; a review of the adequacy of existing survey results; and written notification specifying whether an on-site inspection will be conducted in response to this report, whether construction will be halted and preservation measures taken, and whether a re-investigation will be carried out.
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