What changes will village face if 'Woo Young-woo hackberry tree' becomes designated as natural monument?

연합뉴스 / 2022-08-09 17:11:35

▲ This photo, shows the popularity of the hackberry tree. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, shows Chun Young-woo, chairman of the Cultural Properties Committee under the CHA and the chairman of the natural monument subcommittee answering to questions on the day they inspected the tree whether it was worth being designated as a natural monument. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, August 9 (Yonhap) -- If the hackberry tree in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, which became a hot topic after coming out on the popular drama, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” becomes designated as a natural monument, what effect will it have on the village?

While the Cultural Heritage Administration recently started reviewing whether or not to designate the hackberry tree in Dongbu Village, the southern city of Changwon, Changwon City held a resident briefing session on Tuesday for its guidance.

The city of Changwon explained the natural monument designation procedure carried out by the Cultural Heritage Administration, and provided information about factors that could help be designated as a natural monument.

The city of Changwon expects a positive effect in promoting Changwon if the hackberry becomes a natural monument.

The designation of natural monuments also has the advantage of being able to systematically carry out various protection projects, surrounding environment maintenance projects, and convenience facilities improvement projects.

However, some restrictions may also arise.

When the hackberry tree becomes a natural monument, the historical and cultural environment preservation area will be determined according to Article 13 of the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, and the preservation area is usually determined within 500 meters of the outer boundary of the cultural property.

Within the scope, there may be restrictions on building activities such as the extension and remodeling of existing houses and the construction of new ones.

Dongbu Village, where the Hackberry tree is located, is a small village with 36 households and 70 people.

The city of Changwon confirmed that some houses are within 500 meters of the hackberry tree.

Residents who attended the briefing session were reported to have requested the city of Changwon for convenience facilities such as parking lots and toilets to prepare for future tourists looking for the hackberry tree, while also inquiring about some regulations.

"There are residents who are unfamiliar with the designation of cultural properties, so we held a briefing session to guide the designation process and applicable regulations in the future,” said an official of Changwon city. “It was arranged to solve the curiosities of the villagers.”

The Natural Monuments Committee of the Cultural Heritage Administration plans to conduct a review and deliberation on whether or not to designate the Changwon Hackberry as a natural monument at the end of this month.

If it becomes approved, a notice for being designated as a natural monument will be given for a certain period.

Everyone will be able to freely express their opinions on the designation of natural monuments during the period.

In fact, it is reported that the Cultural Heritage Administration is planning to finalize its designation as a natural monument around October after gathering various opinions.

The Changwon Hackberry tree, which was designated as a protected tree in 2015, is estimated to be about 500 years old.

It is located on the mountaintop of a village with open surroundings, and is 16m high, with a circumference of 6.8m on the height of an adult's chest (about 1.2m).

In particular, the crown width, which refers to the maximum width of the branches and leaves of a tree, is about 27 m, making it a relatively large and old tree among the same type of hackberry trees.