The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH), under the Korea Heritage Service and led by Director-General Jong-deock Lim, will hold a seminar titled “Seminar on Termite Control with International Experts” on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 1:00 PM in the Auditorium on the B1 floor of the Analysis Science Hall at NRICH.

Due to climate change, the population and activity range of termites have been increasing, leading to greater damage to wooden cultural heritage. The recent influx of invasive termites, which are highly destructive to wood, has made it urgent to establish countermeasures. To address termite-related damage and to develop preventative preservation strategies for wooden cultural heritage, NRICH has invited termite experts from the United States and Taiwan, where termite damage is particularly severe. The seminar aims to share international cases of termite control and facilitate a technical exchange on the subject.

The seminar will consist of five presentations and a comprehensive panel discussion. The presentations will begin with “Termite Damage and Their Control of Wooden Architectural Heritages in Korea” by Si-hyun Kim (Research officer at NRICH), followed by “Area Wide Management of Invasive Termites” by Carrie Cottone (Assistant Director of the New Orleans Mosquito, Termite & Rodent Control Board), “Invasive Termites and the Damage they Cause” by Mark Janowiecki (Research Entomologist at the New Orleans Mosquito, Termite & Rodent Control Board), “Current Termite Distribution and Invasive Species in korea” by Jae-hyeon Lee & Won-hoon Lee(Gyeongsang National University), and “Termite Damage and Control Practice in Taiwan” by Hou-Feng Li (Professor at National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan).

After the presentations, a panel discussion will be held with participation from relevant experts, including So-young Jeong (Head of the Conservation Science Department at the National Palace Museum of Korea), Jong-ho Lee (Head of the Plant Pest Control Division at the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency), and Won-jung Hwang (Research Official in the Wood Engineering Division at the National Institute of Forest Science).

The presentations by the international experts will be conducted with consecutive interpretation. The entire seminar will be streamed live on the NRICH YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@nrichstory). All interested members of the public are encouraged to participate. For more details, please contact the Restoration Technology Division at NRICH (042-860-9435).

Based on the insights gained from this seminar, NRICH plans to continue research and investigations to prevent termite damage to wooden cultural heritage and will share the outcomes with the public.