Machu Picchu (Korea Heritage Service)

By Lee Jihae

Two public organizations will help Peru preserve Machu Picchu, a leading site of the Inca civilization.

The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and Korea Heritage Agency on April 21 announced their signing of a memorandum of understanding in the Peruvian capital of Lima on official development assistance (ODA) with the Ministry of Culture there to raise capacities for the preservation and management of Machu Picchu.

The five-year project will run between this year and 2030 as Korea's first ODA project for cultural heritage in Latin America.

Support and cooperation will continue for the creation of a high-precision 3D model of Machu Picchu and technology transfer, adoption of a system for analysis of the preservation environment and comprehensive inspection, technical know-how in maintenance, support for trial preservation and restoration projects, and publishing of a manual on cultural heritage management guidelines.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, Machu Picchu is a globally famous attraction that draws 1.5 million visitors per year. Irregular torrential rains in the Andes Mountains recently have weakened the ground, fueling fears of potential damage such as from landslides.

The KHS is taking a leading role in protecting and managing cultural heritage worldwide, expanding the scope of cooperation from Asian countries such as Laos and Cambodia to states like Uzbekistan and Egypt and now those in Latin America.

jihlee08@korea.kr