On March 20, the National Heritage Administration released the 'Standard Guidelines for Filming Permits on Nationally Designated Cultural Heritage Sites.' These guidelines apply to films and dramas that use cultural heritage sites as backdrops.
This initiative follows an incident last year in which cultural heritage was damaged during the production of KBS-2TV’s upcoming drama 'The First Night With the Duke.'
At the time, the filming crew attached props to ten pillars of the Mandaeru Pavilion at Byeongsan Seowon in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. They secured new nails into existing holes, exerting additional pressure on the structure.
Byeongsan Seowon is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a nationally designated cultural heritage property. According to the Cultural Heritage Protection and Utilization Act, this act constituted damage to cultural heritage.
The National Heritage Administration explained, "These guidelines have been established to share key considerations for permitting filming activities within cultural heritage sites and to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future."
The guidelines must be followed when filming at nationally designated cultural heritage sites. Filming teams are required to submit a permit application, an activity plan, and a pledge to the relevant local government at least 15 days before filming begins.
To prevent damage, the guidelines strongly recommend assigning dedicated safety personnel. For commercial shoots, such as films and dramas, or when more than ten crew members are involved, this is mandatory.
The qualifications for safety personnel have also been specified. They must be professionals specializing in architecture, landscape architecture, history, and archaeology, or be cultural heritage interpreters affiliated with local governments.
Additional provisions include a ban on installing separate structures, restrictions on open flames, measures to prevent inconvenience to visitors, and guidelines for protecting plants within cultural heritage sites.
Meanwhile, KBS has issued an apology regarding the nail incident at Byeongsan Seowon, stating, "We sincerely apologize for the great concern and disappointment caused. We will actively cooperate with the relevant authorities in their investigation."
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