Seokguram Grotto - Inside of Seokguram Grotto

Seokguram Grotto locked in glass walls

It is our precious and proud Seokguram but, unfortunately, it is difficult to look inside closely because it is blocked by glass walls. The reason for the installation of the glass was because Seokguram was damaged while dismantling and repairing the grotto in the Japanese colonial period.

Originally, cold underground water flowed under Seokguram, which kept the temperature of the stone chamber at a constant level. Therefore, it prevented the formation of dews that can be caused by the temperature difference between the outside and the inside.

And, to enable the interior of the stone chamber to breathe, the walls and the ceiling were fitted uniformly with granite and then covered by roof tiles and soil, which naturally helped remove moisture.

During the Japanese occupation era, however, repairs were carried out without sufficient understanding of the scientific structure of Seokguram. That is why underground water was cut off to prevent permeation of water, and the roof tiles and soil on Seokguram's circumference were removed before completing the repair work with cement, which was a relatively new material at the time.

Because of this, moss grew inside the grotto due to moisture, and the stone structures that constitute Seokguram were in danger of corrosion.

So, inevitably, glass walls and thermostats were installed during the rework performed in the 1960s in order to control the temperature and humidity in an artificial manner.

If we understood and paid more attention to our ancestors’ wisdom and scientific technology during the repair construction process, our precious cultural heritage probably wouldn't have faced such a sad reality?