Night view of Cheongseongdae, the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia. (image: Wikimedia)
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Korea Bizwire) – Cultural heritage authorities on Tuesday began checking to see if the latest earthquake has caused any damage to important cultural sites in the ancient city of Gyeongju.
The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage under the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said they were examining national treasures and other monuments in the city jointly with its Gyeongju office.
On Monday, a record magnitude-5.8 earthquake that was strong enough to be felt throughout the nation jolted the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. No serious damage, especially to cultural assets, has been reported so far.
Gyeongju, the capital of the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla (57 B.C.-A.D. 935), has many precious national treasures such as Cheomseongdae, the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia; Seokguram Grotto, an eighth-century Buddhist cave temple; and Bulguk Temple. The last two are registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
“Tilted structures like Cheomseongdae can be vulnerable to quakes,” Kim Deok-mun, a senior official with the CHA, said. “We’re closely watching the situation as aftershocks are under way.”
The government agency will announce the result of its ongoing inspection soon, officials said.
(Yonhap)
