• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.100-119
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• 2016

The concept of "original form" and the principle of "maintaining the original form" take center stage in conservation, management, and promotion of the domestic heritage. Introduced in the 20th century, there were little discussion or deliberation about the concept of "original form" therefore it remains a vague and somewhat abstract notion subject to individual interpretation. Without a specified practical meaning, "maintaining the original form" became the fundamental principle for heritage conservation and management in the 1999 version of the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, engendering difficulties in applying the principle in practice. Conceived as an important first step toward resolving the issues stemming from the indistinct concept of "original form," this paper explores the process through which the concept was introduced to Korea and then established and developed as a legal principle for heritage conservation, management, and promotion. While the examination of the related documents and various cases shows that the development of the concept of "original form" has centered on specific periods and architectural styles, this essay explicates that the notion "original form" is commonly used as a term referring to the form at the earliest possible temporality. It also explains that this view emanates from perceiving heritages not as multivalent objects, but as a material object that exclusively carries aesthetic and, more importantly, historical value, and that comes from the history awareness of the times. This essay suggests that the concept "original form" should be reestablished with full consideration of the diverse values of heritage and diverse forms through which heritage can be expressed. After reviewing the feasibility and practicality of the concept a set of concrete guidelines should be presented for application in practice.