Chief of the Cultural Heritage Administration Yi Kun-moo says his administration will do its best to ensure the government's four-river improvement project will not damage the UNESCO-listed villages.

Yi told a news briefing on Friday that if valuable relics or remains are found in the process of the project surveys, the administration will preserve them and create a park in the region.

The chief said that remains have been found at about 20 sites, some ten percent of the areas subject to the surveys, adding that the government turned some of the areas into parks or green areas as a lot of cultural assets are believed to be buried in the vicinity.

Yi stressed that the administration will make its utmost effort to minimize any scenery changes at the location of Hahoe Village in Andong and the cultural and historical sites in Gongju and Buyeo.