National Heritage Administration, Collaboration with Local Governments… Utilizing Idle Facilities Like Elementary School Buildings
In collaboration with local governments, the National Heritage Administration is working to establish spaces to store and manage excavated artifacts in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, and Yeongwol, Gangwon Province.
On March 7, the National Heritage Administration announced that it will sign a memorandum of understanding at the National Palace Museum of Korea, located in Jongno-gu, Seoul, with Siheung City and Yeongwol County to create a historical and cultural space called ‘Yedamgo’ for excavated artifacts.
Yedamgo is a facility that manages artifacts that were excavated but not claimed by the state. The name conveys the meaning of a “space that contains the present within the old.”
Since 2021, the National Heritage Administration has been establishing Yedamgo facilities by region to systematically store and manage non-state-claimed artifacts and utilize them for various experiences, educational purposes, and exhibitions.
Currently, Yedamgo facilities for the Chungcheong and Honam regions, as well as a specialized Yedamgo for marine artifacts, are in operation.
With this agreement, Siheung City and Yeongwol County will manage excavated artifacts in the capital region and Gangwon area. Siheung plans to repurpose a decommissioned sewage treatment facility into a cultural space called ‘Clear Water Imaginary Center,’ while Yeongwol intends to use the space of the old Mungok Elementary School.
The National Heritage Administration and the local governments aim to complete the site investigations and designs this year and open the Yedamgo facilities in 2027-2028.
Cho Eung-cheon, the Director of the National Heritage Administration, stated, “Efficient use of idle facilities in the capital and Gangwon regions will enable us to strengthen the preservation and management system for excavated artifacts.”