News summary on the way home from work, Subsletter Evening.
It's the fifth day of the East Coast wildfire, and the fire has invaded the nation's largest Geumgangsong community.
Although the defense line has been breached, the forestry authorities explain that the damage has not been great so far as it has blocked the spread of the virus.
However, the damage can be greater depending on the wind direction and speed, so the Geumgangsong colony is facing the greatest crisis.
"Invasion of a stream of fire in the Geumgangsong community"
"I'll have to check the time, but now the hwaseon (fire stream) has slightly crossed the ridge of the Sogwang-ri pine community." (Morning briefing)
"It is almost caught at the boundary line and will not come down further. There will be no major damage." (Afternoon briefing) )
Choi Byung-am, Director of the Korea Forest Service, said at the briefing.
I explained in the morning that the forest fire from Uljin, Gyeongbuk continued, to the Geumgangsong community in Sogwang-ri for the fifth day, but as the fire moved west with the east wind, the defense line was broken up to the Geumgangsong community.
It is said that the smoke was thick in the Sogwang-ri area, and even from a distance, you could see the smoke rising from Sogwang-ri or its surroundings.
The so-called 'bulmeori', where the wildfire is in progress, gradually approached the Geumgangsong colony, and at dawn today (8th), sparks flew and moved. ) invaded within the range of the Geumgangsong colony, and the forestry authorities took an emergency to block the flames.
In the afternoon briefing, it was said that there would be no major damage, but the fire did not completely invade the colony.
The forestry authorities are working hard to prevent the wildfire from spreading further to the Geumgangsong community by mobilizing two extra large helicopters, but it is not easy to put out the fire.
This is because the wind direction and speed are changing every moment.
“If the wind is strong, the fire spreads rapidly, and if the wind is weak, smoke builds up, making the helicopter work worse,” explains the Korea Forest Service. .
The biggest crisis of 'Geumgang Song'
The Geumgangsong colony is located in Sogwang-ri, Geumgangsong-myeon, west of Uljin-eup.
It is the largest colony in Korea, and the original shape of the Geumgangpine forest is well preserved, so it has high ecological value and beautiful scenery.
It covers an area of 2,247 hectares and there are 80,000 pine trees over 200 years old. There are also two protected trees over 500 years old.
There are about 1,600 Geumgang pine trees with a diameter of more than 60 cm.
Geumgangpine grows wild in Gangneung, Samcheok, Uljin, Bonghwa, and Yeongdeok, Gyeongsangbuk-do along the Baekdudaegan from Mt. Geumgang. Geumgangpine, which has been grown for more than 200 years because of its straightness, few cracks, and beauty, is used to restore various cultural properties.
Sogwang-ri Geumgangpine is the highest quality wood among domestic pine trees, and it is used to build important national buildings such as palaces.
When Sungnyemun (Namdaemun) was burned down in 2008, the pine used for restoration was the Geumgang pine in Sogwang-ri.
If Sogwang-ri Geumgangsong disappears, it is a loss that is difficult to measure in terms of money.
Logging has been banned since the reign of King Sukjong of the Joseon Dynasty.
In the early Joseon Dynasty, it is said that the area to procure pine wood needed by the government was designated as Geumsan (禁山) and managed.
It made it impossible to cut down trees carelessly.
It is said that the Bongsan system was implemented instead of the Geumsan system during the reign of King Sukjong when it became difficult to protect the pine trees as the authorities privatized the forest.
The Bongsan System is a system that establishes regions for supplying timber for specific uses (shipbuilding materials, coffin materials, and wood for new wines) required by the country.
Among the many peaks, Hwangjangbongsan was used to make coffins for the royal family or to produce pine trees for palace construction. Sogwang-ri is also designated as Hwangjeongbongsan.
Therefore, it was specially managed to prevent people from cutting down trees carelessly, and the hwangjangbong sign engraved on the rock still remains. (Reference: Newsletter of the Cultural Heritage Administration)
In 1959, the government designated this place as a breeding protection forest and prohibited civilians from entering, and in 1982, systematically It has been designated and managed as a forest genetic resource protection forest for management and nurturing of successors.
Even now, as in the restoration of Sungnyemun, a large amount of timber is required to repair or repair cultural properties, but the national management of pine trees is still required, and the Sogwang-ri pine community is a valuable resource.
"Protect cultural assets from fire"
Not far from the Geumgangsong colony is Bulyeongsa Temple, a historic temple built in the Silla Dynasty.
The Yeongsan Hoesangdo, a treasure trove of Bulyeongsa Temple, and the Shinjin Tanghwa, a tangible cultural property of the province, were loaded into a vibration-free vehicle and transported to the Gyeongju National Research Center for Cultural Heritage.
<The movement of Yeongsanhoesang of Bulyeongsa Temple.
Source: Yonhap News>
The Cultural Heritage Administration also sprayed water around Eungjinjeon and Daeungbojeon of Bulyeongsa Temple, and finished the flame-retardant work for the three-story stone pagoda.
Even now, officials at the Cultural Heritage Care Center are preparing for emergencies.
It has been found that there are no cultural assets that have suffered damage from the forest fire except for the Eodalsan beacon in Donghae-si (Gangwon-do Monument No. 13).
a piece of the day
One day before the 20th presidential election.
This is a picture of health center quarantine officials doing quarantine activities at the polling place.
(Photo = Yonhap News)