(국영문 동시배포) 제48차 유네스코 세계유산위원회, 역대 최대 규모로 29일 성황리 막 내려

Korea

Heritage

Service

NEWS

Division: Host Country Secretariat for the 48th Session of

the UNESCO World Heritage Committee

Contact person: Sunghee Yeo (042-481-4830)

Jieun Lee (042-481-4828)

The 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Draws to a Successful Close on a Record Scale

• 3,140 participants from 162 countries attended, setting a record high... Discussions were held on cross-border heritage conservation and cooperation
• Shared the value of World Heritage and K-Heritage through a variety of events, including the K-Heritage House, special performances, tours, and side events

The Korea Heritage Service (KHS, Administrator Huh Min) has announced that the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (hereinafter referred to as the "Committee"), co-hosted with UNESCO, held its closing ceremony at BEXCO in Busan on July 28. Having opened on July 20, the Committee has wrapped up its official schedule after selecting Türkiye as the host country for the next session on July 28 and adopting the final decisions on July 29, concluding a 11-day journey.

At the opening ceremony of the World Heritage Committee on July 19, President Lee Jae Myung and UNESCO Director-General Khaled Al-Anany, among around 1,000 attendees were present. In his congratulatory remarks, the president emphasized the importance of international cooperation mediated by culture in an era of conflict and division. He highlighted that the Republic of Korea would lead international collaboration through the "Power of Culture," a vision articulated by Kim Koo (1876-1949), a renowned Korean independence leader whose 150th birth anniversary falls this year.

Marking the first time the Republic of Korea has hosted the Committee since ratifying the World Heritage Convention in 1988, this 48th session set all-time high records. A total of 3,140 participants from 162 countries registered, making it the largest gathering in the Committee’s history, along with 25 ministerial-level officials. In particular, President Azali Assoumani of the Union of the Comoros visited the Republic of Korea to celebrate the inscription of the Comoros’ first World Heritage site ("The Medinas of the Historic Sultanates of the Comoros"). This marks the first time in the history of the World Heritage Committee that a sitting head of state has attended a Committee session.

During the Committee session, the "K-Heritage House", set up inside BEXCO across an area twice the size of a soccer field, along with a variety of special performances, received an enthusiastic response. Designed as a festival for everyone to enjoy beyond a professional gathering, the K-Heritage House featured 35 participating organizations operating 45 interactive booths, drawing 137,422 visitors over the 10-day period. In particular, the K-Heritage pop-up store generated 280 million KRW in sales, while the limited-edition commemorative coins—sold for only three days—gained immense popularity, with 382 coins sold on-site. Furthermore, three special performances held at the BEXCO Auditorium, including Hexagram 22 and Good to Go in Busan, were completely sold out, proving the passionate interest of both domestic and international attendees as well as local citizens.

Programs for participants were also actively carried out. A total of 31 tour programs were operated, including the "Busan Heritage Field Trip". Additionally, 61 enriching side events took place, including topics such as "World Heritage Governance and Cultural Power: Policy Directions in the Vision of Kim Koo" and "Flyway Flying Beyond Borders: Conserving the Yellow Sea Tidal Flats through Transboundary Cooperation on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway".

Two forums held prior to the plenary session were also successfully conducted. The "Young Professionals Forum" attended by 31 professionals from 29 countries, held to strengthen youth capacity in the world heritage field from July 13, adopted and presented a declaration during the plenary session on July 20—focusing on expanding practical youth participation in world heritage governance and education as well as strengthening future generations' capabilities—held its completion ceremony, and wrapped up its official schedule on July 21. Following this, the "Site Managers’ Forum" attended by 74 site managers from 45 countries, which brought together world heritage field practitioners from July 16, adopted and presented a declaration during the plenary session on July 21 emphasizing the importance of inclusive world heritage management and sustainable conservation based on the participation of local communities and various stakeholders, celebrated its completion on July 22, and successfully concluded all schedules on July 23.

The Committee successfully and safely concluded all schedules based on a close cooperative framework with safety-related organizations, including Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Busan Metropolitan City, Haeundae-gu, the police, fire authorities, and the military.. Administrator Huh Min, stated, “I deeply thank all cooperating agencies for their generous on-site support to ensure that the committee was carried out safely and without a hitch until the very end.”

Building on the international stature and experience gained as the Host Country of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, the KHS plans to further consolidate its leadership in the field of World Heritage. In particular, to ensure that the “Busan Delcaration on World Heritage,” drafted and adopted under Republic of Korea’s leadership, yields concrete and practical outcomes, the KHS will collaborate closely with relevant organizations to actively drive forward follow-up projects, including hosting the tentatively named “Busan World Heritage Forum.”