1. At its 39th session underway in Bonn, Germany, from June 28 through July 8, the World Heritage Committee (WHC) decided on July 4, local time, to inscribe the Baekje Historic Areas of the Republic of Korea on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

◦ The WHC is the 21-member inter-governmental committee that makes final decisions as to whether to inscribe candidate properties on the World (Cultural, Natural and Mixed) Heritage Lists. The ROK, elected as a member in November 2013, is serving the 2013-2017 term on the committee.

* The ROK government dispatched to the WHC meeting a delegation co-led by Second Vice Minister Cho Tae-yul of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Administrator Rha Sun-hwa of the Cultural Heritage Administration and comprised of officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Cultural Heritage Administration; government agencies of such provinces as Chungcheongnam-do, Jeollabuk-do and such cities as Gongju, Buyeo and Iksan; the Korean National Commission for UNESCO (KNCU); and ICOMOS-Korea.

2. Reviewing the ROK’s candidates for inscription, the WHC and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), -- an advisory organ affiliated with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre that makes recommendations regarding inscriptions to the WHC -- took note of the fact that the Baekje Historic Areas clearly illustrate the history of exchanges among ancient kingdoms of the East Asian countries of Korea, China and Japan; and that they are extraordinary proofs of the history and various aspects of the Baekje culture, including its view of afterlife, region, architectural technology and artistic beauty.

3. Meanwhile, the WHC recommended that the ROK complete an overall strategy for tourism management as well as a plan on the management of visitors to each heritage at the Baekje site; and adjust the monitoring intervals for changes on murals and in internal conditions of the ancient tombs in Gongju and Buyeo. The Cultural Heritage Administration and the government agencies of the relevant provinces, including Chungcheongnam-do and Jeollabuk-do, will thoroughly implement the UNESCO recommendations, while drawing up and carrying out a plan for a more systematic preservation, management and use of the Baekje Historic Areas.

4. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cultural Heritage Administration called the inscription of the Baekje Historic Areas on the World Heritage List an opportunity to promote across the world and shed a new light on the history and culture of the ancient Baekje Kingdom. They expect the UNESCO inscription to contribute greatly to the ROK’s efforts to invigorate domestic tourism; promote its cultural heritage across the world; and enhance the country’s image as a cultural powerhouse.

◦ With the addition of the Baekje Historic Areas to the UNESCO list, which came only a year after the inscription of Namhansanseong (Namhan Mountain fortress) in 2014, the ROK now has 12 properties inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage.


* unofficial translation