An association of inter-Korean historians will begin taking safety measures following flood damage to the site of a centuries-old royal palace in North Korea’s border city of Gaesong.

A South Korean government official said that roughly ten members of the South Korean arm of the historians association will be paying a ten-day visit to North Korea beginning Monday. With their North Korean counterparts, the historians plan to assess the damage from flooding at the remains of the Manwoldae, an ancient royal palace, and take emergency measures to prevent further damage.

This move follows the association’s decision upon a visit to the excavation site in October last year. They said that due to heavy flooding in Gaesong in the summer months of July and August, earth and sand had damaged embankments on the excavation site and counter measures are urgently called for.

Ground digging could take place in this round of safety measures taken on the site depending on the situation. This indicates that the excavation project will de facto resume after being suspended for one year, five months.

The two Koreas launched the project to excavate the remains of Manwoldae, the royal palace of the ancient Goryeo Kingdom in 2007, but the project was suspended after the North’s sinking of the Cheonan naval vessel last year.