Seoul to preserve modern landmarks

By Kim Rahn

The late novelistPark Kyung-ni's house and one of the former spy agency's buildings on Mt. Nam will be preserved as cultural heritage sites, according to Seoul City.

The city government said Thursday it will select and preserve facilities and sites related to the city's history, culture and lifestyle between 1900 and 2000 as cultural heritages in contemporary periods.

"Currently, many facilities having historic and symbolic values are used for residences or have even been remodeled or destroyed through the owners' decision. We need to protect what can be heritage in the future", Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said in a media briefing.

Facilities subject to preservation include birth places or tombs of historic figures, as well as remains related to foreigners who contributed to Korea during the time of modernization, such as a house named Dilkusha.

Also to be preserved to see Seoulites' modern life are the Guro industrial complex and sewing factories in Changsin-dong which are symbols of economic development; Chungjeong Apartment which was Korea's first apartment building; and even hillside slums.

The city will select 1,000 sites to be preserved by studies with district offices and collecting public opinion by July next year. A committee will be set up to pick the items.

It will launch five pilot projects within the year with a budget of 550 million won: Preserving tombs of patriotic martyrs includingLee Junand Sohn Byeong-hee; restoring buildings related to the country's establishment such as democracy fighter Kim Koo's residence Gyeonggyojang; preserving the former intelligence agency's building on Mt. Nam; establishing a museum on Guro industrial complex; and preserving cultural figures' houses including Park's and that of poet Kim Soo-young.

The city has come up with the plan as many historic sites and facilities have been damaged _ the birth houses of poet Park Mok-wol and novelist Hyeon Jin-geon were demolished and Kim's house was destroyed by heavy snow.

"This project is designed to prepare treasures for 100 years later. Modern and contemporary heritages are valuable assets which the current and future generations can share", the mayor said.