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Gov't to draw up plan for leaning brick pagoda at Beopheung Temple site

Published: 07 Apr. 2025, 16:11

Photos of the Seven-story Brick Pagoda at Beopheungsa Temple Site from a 2023 report by the the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage [NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF CULTURAL HERITAGE]

The seven-story brick pagoda at the site of Beopheung Temple in Andong, North Gyeongsang, is showing continued signs of structural tilt, prompting authorities to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan, possibly within the year.

According to the Korea Heritage Service on Monday, the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage reported during a February meeting that the pagoda received an "E" grade, the lowest on a five-tier scale, indicating an urgent need for repair. The evaluation was part of this year's monitoring of 26 key cultural heritage sites, including 14 national treasures.

Of the 26 sites, 22 were rated "C" — requiring cautionary observation — while three others are currently undergoing restoration or other remedial courses of action. The pagoda has received an "E" rating for three consecutive years since 2021.

Believed to have been part of Beopheungsa Temple during the Unified Silla (668-935) period in the 8th century, the structure is considered Korea’s oldest surviving brick pagoda. Built using bricks and retaining traces of roof tiles, the pagoda is regarded as proof that brick versions were modeled after wooden versions.

The pagoda began to experience structural issues in the 1940s, when railway tracks were laid nearby under Japanese colonial rule. Vibrations from passing trains are believed to have contributed to the ongoing deterioration.

Since monitoring began in 2015, the structure received a "C" grade in 2019, followed by a "D" for requiring detailed diagnostics in 2020. A railway segment adjacent to the southern side of the pagoda was removed in 2021, yet instability has continued.

In the February committee meeting, it was reported that the pagoda has tilted approximately 35 millimeters (1.38 inches) to the northwest since the railway removal. Additional damage, including cracks, brick breakage and biological erosion, has also been observed.

“The tilt that was already present before the railway removal was measured last year at 35 millimeters,” said Kim Hyun-yong, a senior researcher at the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage’s Heritage Safety Division. “Other forms of damage, such as cracks and biological impact, were also confirmed.”

According to committee records, a conservation study is currently underway, with the goal of establishing a comprehensive restoration and maintenance plan for the pagoda within the year.

The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage plans to share its findings with relevant government departments and local governments later this month and publish a formal report in June. Since 2015, the institute has been conducting annual inspections of 20 to 30 key heritage sites. This year’s targets include the Sungnyemun in central Seoul and the Seokguram Grotto in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, along with 11 other national treasures.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY KANG HYE-RAN [[email protected]]