This article critically re-evaluates South Korean institutional strategies and practical actions that occurred in the initial stage of Korean cultural heritage protection system from the 1960s to the 1970s. Traversing economic and socio-political top-down authority of South Korean government, I explore how Korean military government exploited the cultural heritage protection system and built a collective sentiment and state-centered ideological consolidation. This investigation enables me to demonstrate that institutional strategy and practical actions of the incipient cultural system got entangled in a top-down approach. The interdisciplinary analysis is based on a case study that exemplifies Korean traditional mask dance drama, one of the representative Korean heritages and employs qualitative methods such as analysis on governmental policies, interview, and observation. This study provides a clue for readers to re-evaluate Korean cultural protection system and eventually gain insight into betterment and sustainability of heritage.