Previously part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, it was elevated to a sub-ministerial agency in 1999.

[2] The Cultural Properties Administration was formally established in October 1961, but descends from the Former Royal Properties Administration to the Office created in November 1945 at the beginning of American military rule to replace the Office of the Yi Dynasty.

13 wooden boards for the new signboard were cut in September 2011 and have since undergone a natural drying process in Gangwon Province.

[8] In December 2012, following the folk song "Arirang" being inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity programme by UNESCO,[9] the Administration announced a five-year plan to promote and preserve the song.

The plan is aim to support "Arirang" festivals by regional organizations, as well as building an archive for the song, exhibitions, fund research; of which it has allocated ₩33.6 billion.