Century-old temples destroyed, UNESCO village evacuated: How South Korea wildfires have ignited a 'heritage disaster crisis'

South Korea is battling one of its worst wildfire crises in its recent history, with massive infernos tearing through an ancient temple, destroying national treasures, and consuming hundreds of structures. The fires, raging across the southeastern regions, have already claimed at least 26 lives and forced more than 28,000 residents to evacuate.

Among the most heartbreaking losses is the destruction of the historic Gounsa Temple, a Buddhist site with over 1,300 years of history. Meanwhile, a 600-year-old Andong Hahoe folk village, a Unesco World Heritage site, was evacuated as fire crews scrambled to contain worsening wildfires.

With flames spreading fast, South Korea on Tuesday for the first time issued a heritage disaster crisis alert at the highest “serious” level across the country, prompting authorities to race to save its national treasures.

Here’s what we know about them.

Fires engulf South Korea’s historic temple

As wildfires sweep through South Korea’s southeastern town of Uiseong, a significant part of the centuries-old Gounsa Temple has been reduced to ashes. The temple, which housed designated national treasures, was among the latest cultural casualties of the devastating blaze.

Originally built in 681 AD during the Shilla Dynasty, Gounsa Temple sits at the foot of Deungun Mountain. Its name, meaning “Lonely Cloud Temple,” mirrors its serene location. While none of its original buildings from that ancient era remain, the site had become home to several culturally significant structures built in later centuries.

But as strong winds fanned the flames on Tuesday, the 1,300-year-old temple complex was engulfed in fire. Nearly 20 of its 30 buildings and structures were completely destroyed, including Gaunru—a pavilion built in 1668 overlooking a stream—and Yeonsujeon Hall, constructed in 1904 to commemorate the longevity of a king.

Both structures were from the Joseon Dynasty, Korea’s last ruling kingdom, and held the government designation of “treasures,” a title given to historically and artistically significant buildings, paintings, and cultural assets that receive state-level protection, as per the state-run Korea Heritage Service.

“I went there this morning and found they’ve been reduced to heaps of ashes,” said Doryun, a senior monk who once lived at the temple for more than three years. “I feel really empty. Life is transient,” he told AP.

Despite the devastation, one of Gounsa’s most revered artifacts—a massive Buddha statue—miraculously survived. Workers had wrapped the stone figure in a fire-retardant blanket just hours before the flames reached it, preventing it from being consumed by the inferno.

Confirming the destruction, an official from the Korea Heritage Service said that the temple had been burned down.

“It is very heartbreaking and painful to see the precious temples that are over a thousand years old being lost,” monk Deung-woon told AFP.

Meanwhile, residents of the 600-year-old Andong Hahoe Folk Village, a Unesco World Heritage site located over 209 km southeast of Seoul, were forced to evacuate as the wildfire approached.

Hahoe Folk Village is famed for its well-preserved traditional Korean houses from the Joseon era, while another site on high alert is the Byeongsan Seowon, which is a Confucian academy, built in honour of scholar Yu Seong-ryong and his contributions to Korean history.

On social media, villagers described the blaze as “the devil,” expressing their frustration over the struggle to contain it, The New York Times reported.

Rescue operation to save national treasures

As wildfires raged “out of control” across Uiseong, the Korea Heritage Service raised the national heritage disaster crisis alert to “serious” for the first time. This designation required local governments to deploy additional manpower for emergency response efforts.

“The risk of fire damage to national heritage due to the large forest fires in Uiseong County and Andong City, as well as simultaneous forest fires occurring nationwide, is very high,” a representative of the service told a local news outlet.

By Wednesday, the Korea Heritage Service had relocated 15 historic artifacts, including wooden printing blocks and Buddha paintings, from major temples such as Bongjeongsa in Andong and Buseoksa in Yeongju, both in North Gyeongsang Province.

Among the relocated items were 10 national treasures, including a seated stone Buddha statue from the now-destroyed Gounsa Temple in Uiseong. Additionally, five tangible cultural heritage items were moved to safeguard them from the advancing flames, Yonhap news agency reported.

‘Unprecedented’ wildfires

South Korea is facing what officials have called the worst wildfire disaster in the nation’s history, with blazes that began five days ago leaving a trail of destruction.

Beyond the devastating loss of life and cultural heritage, the fires have destroyed more than 300 structures—including homes, factories, and vehicles—and have scorched around 88,000 acres of land, according to the Interior Ministry.

Acting President Han Duck-soo described the crisis as “unprecedented,” saying the fires are “rewriting the record books for the worst wildfires in our nation’s history.”

“Damages are snowballing,” he warned. “There are concerns that we’ll have wildfire damages that we’ve never experienced before, so we must concentrate all our capabilities on putting out the fires in the rest of this week.”

Of the nearly 30 blazes that broke out since Friday, five were still burning early Thursday. The largest fire, covering approximately 82,000 acres, was only 44 percent contained. Efforts to control the flames have been hampered by strong winds, preventing the use of helicopters and drones.

The national weather agency predicted light rainfall in the affected areas by the end of the week, but officials remain doubtful it will be enough to make a difference.

Experts point to higher temperatures, worsened by human-caused climate change , as a key factor behind the disaster. The independent research group Climate Central reported that these conditions have turned South Korea’s “dry landscapes into dangerous fire fuel”, accelerating the scale and intensity of the wildfires.

With input from agencies