Suwon's Banghwa Suryujeong Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Table and Other Items Selected as 'Gyeonggi Province Registered Cultural Heritage'

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] Gyeonggi Province has selected 11 items, including No. 1 'Korean War Refugee Taegeuk Flag,' as the new 'Gyeonggi Province Registered Cultural Heritage' system to preserve and utilize modern cultural heritage.

On the 21st, Gyeonggi Province held a Registered Cultural Heritage Subcommittee meeting of the Gyeonggi Province Cultural Heritage Committee and made final decisions to register 11 Gyeonggi Province registered cultural heritage items: ▲Korean War Refugee Taegeuk Flag in the collection of Dongducheon Freedom and Peace Museum ▲Paju Galgok-ri Church ▲Osan UN Forces Initial Battle Monument and Former Copper Plaque and Korean Service Corps (KSC) Information Plaque ▲Collection of Measurement and Repair Drawings of Cultural Heritage from the Japanese Colonial Period ▲Ansan Kia Three-Wheeled Truck T600 ▲Bucheon Korean-American Foundation Sosa 4-H Training Farm Silo ▲Suwon Banghwa Suryujeong Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Table ▲Paju Last Chance ▲Paju Malaysia Bridge ▲Ansan Dongju Salt Farm Salt Transport Rail Car ▲Ansan Wooden Cotton Carding Frame (registration numbers in order) and others.

Previously, the province noted that unlike traditional cultural heritage managed as national or city/provincial designated cultural heritage, modern cultural heritage (cultural heritage over 50 years old) had no proper means of protection when rejected as national registered cultural heritage. In 2016, the province proposed institutional improvements to allow local governments to also operate registered cultural heritage systems.

In 2019, when the government accepted Gyeonggi Province's proposal, the province has promoted the selection of local government registered cultural heritage since September of last year through field surveys of cities and counties and gathering public opinions.

The registration numbers for the final 11 cultural heritage items were selected based on historical value and symbolism, considering public opinion and expert recommendations.

The 'Korean War Refugee Taegeuk Flag' was preserved by a refugee fleeing from North Korea in September 1951, handed over to American troops, and donated to Dongducheon City in 1987. It helps in understanding the pressing historical tragedy during the Korean War, explaining the selection background.

The No. 2 'Paju Galgok-ri Church' is a building constructed in 1954 with cooperation from local residents and American troops.

The committee evaluated the church as having great significance in early church history, as it displays architectural styles reflecting the conditions of the era when Korea was devastated after the Korean War, and the area surrounding the church possesses the characteristics of a faith-based community village formed after the late Joseon period.

The No. 3 'Osan UN Forces Initial Battle Monument and Former Copper Plaque and Korean Service Corps (KSC) Information Plaque' is a monument erected at the site of the Battle of Jungmi-ryeong.

This location witnessed the first combat between North Korean forces and UN forces in the early stages of the Korean War, resulting in numerous casualties. Alongside the monument stands an information plaque recording the Korean Service Corps, which was responsible for combat support for the American military in Korea, carrying out repairs to the monument. This evokes memories of the scars left by the war.

The other eight registered cultural heritage items were highly evaluated as they contain history and era characteristics from the Japanese colonial period, the Korean War, and industrial sites of the 1960s-1970s.

Lee Hee-wan, Head of the Cultural Heritage Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "All 11 items registered as the first achievement of the provincial registered cultural heritage system established to protect modern cultural heritage in the province are meaningful cultural heritage that characteristically showcase the province's identity and regional characteristics." He added, "Going forward, we will continue to discover and protect modern cultural heritage and widely publicize the value of modern cultural resources that are disappearing under high development pressure."