• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.32-47
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the vegetation maintenance project that was conducted as a part of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) project for the historic site of Angkor, to analyze the aspects and characteristics of the project, and to derive implications for the establishment of future policies and strategies. First, the key words used in the vegetation maintenance project at the historic site of Angkor do not only refer to the concept of plants (and more specifically to 'trees') but also to the concept of heritage. In other words, the concept of heritage is not limited to architectural structures but is also intended to mean the vegetation and surroundings that form the historic site. Second, the expansion of the value of vegetation has contributed to the establishment of the basic principles of conservation based on the 'coexistence' between architectural structures and vegetation; here, vegetation has come to be recognized as an 'essential' element in the conservation of historic sites. Third, the range of vegetation maintenance has expanded from each tree to the surroundings of the temples, and vegetation maintenance came to adopt 'integrative' and 'active' directions to improve not only the growth environment of the vegetation but also the viewing environment experienced by visitors. This change means that it is necessary for the historic site maintenance project to comprehensively deal with the temples and their surrounding areas. Fourth, for the effective performance of the ODA project, the role of the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC-Angkor), under the influence of UNESCO, was expanded from an examination of the problems with the existing projects to a search for solutions to technical consultation and supervision. This implies that, in order to perform the ODA project in a way that is appropriate to the local conditions, it is important to reach gradual and phased agreements with ICC-Angkor.