A large forest fire occurred in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province, destroying the ancient Buddhist temple Gounsa on the 25th.
A forestry official noted that the aerial firefighting team confirmed Gounsa was completely engulfed in flames around 4:50 p.m.
Gounsa is located at the foot of Deungun Mountain in Dancheon-myeon, Uiseong County, and is also the main temple of the 16th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is known to have been founded by the monk Uisang in the year 681, during the reign of King Sinmun of Silla.
Evacuation orders were issued in Dancheon-myeon, where Gounsa is located, around 3:20 p.m. Consequently, about 20 people, including 5 to 6 monks, began evacuating from Gounsa at about 3:50 p.m., except for some officials.
Cultural heritage items, including Treasure No. 246, the stone seated Buddha statue that was housed at Gounsa, were reportedly relocated to various places in North Gyeongsang Province, such as the Seongbo Museum of Beosuksa in Yeongju, on the morning of the same day. However, Gounsa's Gounru and Yeonsujeon, which are designated as national heritage buildings, did not escape the flames. A forestry official stated, "The moment the structure caught fire, the firefighting team and monks evacuated."