(LEAD) Historic Buddhist temple in Uiseong burned down by wildfires

All News 19:43 March 25, 2025

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest details in last 2 paras; ADDS photo; RECASTS headline, lead para)

UISEONG, South Korea, March 25 (Yonhap) -- An ancient Buddhist temple in the southeastern county of Uiseong was completely burned down Tuesday as the nation struggled to contain wildfires that ravaged the southeastern region, authorities said.

Gounsa Temple, built more than 1,000 years ago during the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) in Uiseong, located about 180 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was fully engulfed by the fire at around 4:50 p.m., according to forest authorities.

A mountain near Gounsa Temple, an ancient temple in Uiseong county, about 180 kilometers southeast of Seoul, burns as wildfires spread across the southeastern region on March 25, 2025, in this photo provided by the government of North Gyeongsang Province. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

A Buddhist architectural structure from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), designated as a national treasure, was also destroyed in the blaze.

Authorities confirmed that a stone Buddha statue and other cultural treasures had been moved to safe locations in North Gyeongsang Province. Monks and other people at the temple evacuated before the fire reached the area.

As the wildfires continue to spread in Uiseong and surrounding areas, the Korea Heritage Service said it raised its disaster alert level to "serious" at 5:30 p.m., to protect national heritage sites from the risk of fire damage

It marks the first time the heritage authority has elevated its alert to the highest level in the four-tier system.