​

The CulturalHeritage Administration (CHA, Administrator: Choi Eung-Chon) plans to designatethe 'East Asian Hackberry of Bukbu-ri,Changwon', a protected tree in Changwon (designated on July 16, 2015), as aNatural Monument on August 30 at the Cultural Heritage Committee(the 7thNatural Heritage Subcommittee) held at the National Palace Museum of Korea inJongno-gu, Seoul on August 24.     

East AsianHackberry of Bukbu-ri, Changwon is a tree that became a national topic as itwas widely known to the public as "Sodeok-dong's Hackberry" throughthe series "Extraordinary Attorney Woo." Reflecting the nationalinterest, the CHA conducted an investigation with three members of the CulturalHeritage Committee (Natural Heritage Subcommittee) in the field of plants andtraditional landscape architecture on July 29 under the Cultural HeritageProtection Act to review the value of the tree as a natural monument.

Hackberry(paeng-namu) is commonly found around the port where the sea and the rivermeet, therefore it was also called "paegu-namu," It is a typicalDangsan-namu (village guardian tree) that grows large over a long time andforms shade as its fruits become food for migratory birds. East Asian Hackberry of Bukbu-ri, Changwon, shows the growthcharacteristics well and has long been the center of the Dongbu villagecommunity in the agricultural society. Only two Hackberries have beendesignated as Natural Monuments before, Hwangmokgeun (East Asian Hackberry) inGeumnam-ri, Yecheon, and East Asian Hackberry of Sudong-ri, Gochang.

East Asian Hackberry of Bukbu-ri, Changwon is an approximately 500-year-old tree with a height of16 meters, a breast height of 6.8 meters, and a crown width of 27 meters andthe size of the tree is comparable to East Asian Hackberries in Geumnam-ri,Yecheon, and Sudong-ri, Gochang, which were previously designated as NaturalMonuments.

In particular, thetree shape with a wide crown is beautiful and the growth condition is good. Andthe wide plains of Hanam-eup and Daesan-myeon spread north and south along theNakdonggang River from the hill where the hackberry is located, and the uniquescenic value is also excellent as the towering tree on the plains far from thehill is spectacular.

* Other East Asian Hackberry already designated as a Natural Monument

The existence of East Asian Hackberry of Bukbu-ri, Changwonwas widely known to the public by the Dong-A Ilbo's report, which featured itsvillagers and the tree during the flood in 1934. The investigation conducted bythe CHA confirmed that a Danseon-am(Dangjip, temple) has existed next to thetree for many years and that the village tradition was handed down wherevillagers held Dangsanje(a village ritual at Dangsan Shrine) on the first dayof the 10th lunar month every year, making the hackberry valuable in terms ofliving history and folklore, through oral testimony and historical records.

Jung Ssang-Yi, thechief monk of Dangseon-am, testified, "For the past 90 years, myself andthe late monk Jung Gong have overseen the ritual and continued the tradition ofDangsanje in Dongbu Village, Bukbu-ri, Changwon, and the village activelysupported by giving a patch of rice paddy to hold Dangsanje."

The planneddesignation of East Asian Hackberry ofBukbu-ri, Changwon as a Natural Monument is all the more meaningful in thatit comprehensively confirms the historic, academic, and scenic values whilebeing recognized for combining the natural heritage of Hackberry with theintangible heritage of Dangsanje.

Meanwhile, the CHAheld a briefing session for village residents with local governments from theearly stage of preparing for the designation and communicated directly on thedifficulties of residents concerning the possible infringement of propertyrights when designating a natural monument. In addition, the CHA and ChangwonCity has made various efforts to protect the tree from any damage and improvesurrounding environment by improving visitor traffic using temporary pavementfacilities, installing protective fences and temporary toilets to resolveinconveniences for residents due to the increased visitors.

The CHA willcontinue to strive for systematic management of local communities collapsed byCOVID-19 and old big trees on the verge of extinction due to climate change,and actively discover and designate potential heritage as Natural Monuments toserve as the center of the local community.

The CulturalHeritage Administration will receive opinions for 30 days on the planneddesignation of East Asian Hackberry ofBukbu-ri, Changwon, as a National Monument before making a final decision.

In addition, theCHA will actively cooperate with local governments and residents to manage East Asian Hackberry of Bukbu-ri, Changwon,to contribute to the enhancement of opportunities to enjoy natural heritage,promote public convenience, and develop coexistent local development.