Iron fence erected after construction halt
Site condition at Tr.46, where additional artifacts were found, altered
Allegations have emerged that a site where suspected buried cultural artifacts were found in large numbers has been illegally damaged — despite a construction halt ordered Sept. 2 at the Goeun-ri site in Chuncheon, where Gangwon Province plans to build its new headquarters. An iron fence was erected and the condition of the discovery site was found to have changed after the halt was ordered.
Chuncheon, which manages the site, has asked Gangwon Province — the project's client — to submit a written explanation, and has begun looking into the circumstances and potential legal violations surrounding the alleged damage.
According to civic group Jungdo Bonbu, which conducted its third on-site inspection of the Goeun-ri construction site on Sunday, the group confirmed that an iron fence had been newly installed and that the condition of the site had changed since the Sept. 2 construction halt.
At the location where more than 90 suspected buried artifacts were discovered and reported Sept. 1, an iron fence was found to have been newly installed by Sunday — one that had not been visible in photographs taken Sept. 6.
The area near Tr.46 — a section where no precision excavation had been conducted and where about 40 additional suspected artifacts were found Sept. 6 — showed signs of disturbance during Sunday's inspection. Soil appeared to have been dug up from below and piled on top, or covered with earth brought in from elsewhere. Jungdo Bonbu said the alterations could be interpreted as a deliberate attempt to conceal the suspected artifacts, which had previously been clearly visible on the surface.
Jungdo Bonbu also said it observed workers installing additional fencing beyond sections where fencing had already been in place.
In a phone call with Jungdo Bonbu on Monday afternoon, an official from Chuncheon's culture and arts division said the city had asked Gangwon Province to submit a written explanation after conducting an on-site inspection, according to Jungdo Bonbu Representative Kim Jong-mun.
Jungdo Bonbu said it must be made clear exactly when and what work was carried out after the construction halt was ordered, and what bearing that work had on the preservation of the buried cultural heritage.
Earlier, on Sept. 1, Jungdo Bonbu discovered 97 objects believed to be artifacts at the Goeun-ri construction site, prompting authorities to halt construction beginning the following morning, Sept. 2.
The Act on the Protection and Investigation of Buried Cultural Heritage provides for penalties for violations of orders to suspend or halt excavation of buried cultural assets.
Kim said it is therefore necessary to determine whether any construction or excavation-related work was actually carried out during the installation of the iron fence, whether the condition of any buried cultural heritage was altered in the process, and whether the relevant authorities had granted approval, held consultations, or issued instructions.
He added that if the work took place after the construction halt was ordered, the date and time, nature of the work, equipment used, contractor involved, and actions taken by the relevant authorities should all be objectively verified.
A Cultural Heritage Administration official told Jungdo Bonbu in a phone call Monday that the agency would follow up with Chuncheon in accordance with applicable laws, Kim said in a press release issued the same day.
The project to build Gangwon Province's new headquarters in Goeun-ri, Dongnaemyeon, Chuncheon, covers a site of about 100,000 square meters and calls for a building with two below-ground floors and nine above-ground floors. The project is valued at around 500 billion won ($371 million).
Jungdo Bonbu has previously cited a response from the Gangwon provincial government under the current elected administration, which stated that building on the existing headquarters site would cost 350 billion won.
abc@heraldcorp.com
