In order to prevent the loss of cultural assets as national symbols like Sungryemun and to find an institutional device for the prevention, the present study purposed to identify problems through reviewing previous research and analyzing the fire acci...
In order to prevent the loss of cultural assets as national symbols like Sungryemun and to find an institutional device for the prevention, the present study purposed to identify problems through reviewing previous research and analyzing the fire accident of Sungryemun, to look for solutions for the problems, and to suggest directions for relevant policies.
For these purposes and with the fire accident of Sungryemun in February 2008, this study examined the relation between the preservation of cultural assets and disaster control to find management systems that prevent disasters in wooden cultural assets buildings in Korea, reviewed the contents of cultural assets disaster control and previous research, and then confirmed that a new strategic management system is necessary for preventing the happening of disaster itself in consideration of the characteristics of cultural assets. Particularly in that classical feedback control may be meaningless for cultural assets in which historicity is critical, we recognized the necessity of feed?\forward control and tried to find disaster control methods.
The scope of this study was limited to wooden cultural assets buildings, which are vulnerable to fire, among cultural heritages, and the spatial scope was the whole country, In addition, natural disasters were excluded, and improvement in management was sought for man?\made and social disasters.
As to research methods, we analyzed theses, literature, and administrative agencies’ official reports, referred to newspapers, magazines and periodicals, performed an AHP survey of involved civil servants and experts, and conducted a questionnaire survey of people in charge of cultural assets disaster control. We changed general disaster control procedure ‘prevention ?C preparation ?C response ?C recovery’ to ‘management ?C prevention ?C preparation ?C response’ for cultural assets disaster control, and considered disaster control by the feed?\forward control method, which is a strategic control plan. As an empirical case, the fire accident of Sungryemun was analyzed and its problems were examined according to measuring element. In addition, with regard to the accident, an AHP survey was applied to experts, and a questionnaire survey was conducted for people in charge of cultural assets management and disaster control at local government throughout the country. These surveys asked about the relative importance and priority of cultural assets disaster control.
From the results of this study were derived problems in cultural assets disaster control and solutions for the problems as follows. First, organizations and budgets should be expanded for cultural assets disaster control. At least, the Cultural Heritage Administration should have a department in full charge of disasters, and local government should operate a cultural assets management department and prepare a budget for preventing disasters.
Second, in order to prevent disasters, it is necessary to change people’s consciousness and to improve the cultural assets safety inspection system. In addition, information on the characteristics of cultural assets should be shared among relevant institutions.
Third, with regard to the preparation system, equipment and facilities fit for the characteristics of cultural assets should be installed, response manuals should be prepared, and practical education and training should be executed in advance.
Fourth, with regard to the response system, fire should be extinguished at the initial stage, and for this, the performance of equipment and facilities should be tested in advance and fire fighting skills should be improved. In case an actual disaster happens, early response is possible when preventive measures have been taken in advance.
As there has not been sufficient research on cultural assets disaster control, the present study has its meanings in defining cultural assets disaster control procedure as ‘management ?C prevention ?C preparation ?C response’ according to the strategic control process by feed?\forward because ‘recovery’ is meaningless due to the characteristic of cultural assets. In addition, regarding management and prevention as ‘preliminary control’ and preparation and response as ‘executive control’, this study suggested a system that monitors these processes strategically.