Can the Memories of 1,023 Days in Busan Become a World Heritage Site?

Preliminary Evaluation Application to UNESCO Scheduled for September

Eleven Sites Nominated, from Gyeongmudae to Yeongdo Bridge

Target Year for Inscription Adjusted from 2028 to 2030

Busan, which served as the provisional capital for 1,023 days during the Korean War, is now seeking to have its war heritage inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city is aiming to have the memories of sheltering one million refugees recognized as a shared heritage of humanity.

The Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum, formerly the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Information Service.

According to Busan Metropolitan City and the Cultural Heritage Administration, on May 27, Busan announced plans to submit a preliminary assessment application for the "Sites of the Wartime Capital of Busan during the Korean War" to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in September. This heritage was included on the World Heritage Tentative List in 2023, and last year, it was also selected for the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Priority Listing for World Heritage.

The preliminary assessment will be conducted in writing by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an advisory body to UNESCO. This process reviews the potential for World Heritage inscription and identifies areas that need to be supplemented in advance; it typically takes about one year to receive the results.

Busan is accelerating preparations for inscription by reorganizing its organizational structure and expanding additional research and studies. The city also plans to actively promote the necessity of inscription to international experts during the World Heritage Committee meeting to be held in Busan in July.

Youngshin Ahn, Director of Cultural Heritage Division, Busan Metropolitan City.

Youngshin Ahn, Director of the Cultural Heritage Division of Busan Metropolitan City, explained, "The wartime capital Busan is not merely a war heritage site, but rather an example of how a city and community were sustained in times of war and crisis." He added, "This aligns with the trend of the World Heritage concept expanding from a focus on old buildings to the experiences and memories of humanity."

The proposed sites for inscription comprise 11 heritage locations that represent three pillars: government continuity, refugee life, and international cooperation. Gyeongmudae (now the Provisional Capital Memorial Hall) and the Provisional Central Government Complex (now the Seokdang Museum of Dong-A University) are spaces where state functions continued during the war. The National Central Observatory (now the Busan Meteorological Observatory) continued weather observation during wartime, supporting military operations and relief efforts. The U.S. Embassy and U.S. Information Service (now the annex to the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum) served as a center for diplomacy and international cooperation.

Pier No.1 at Busan Port was a strategic hub where UN military supplies and refugees converged. At Hialeah Base (now Busan Citizens Park), the United Nations Commission for Korea and the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency were stationed, carrying out education, health, and relief projects. The Busan UN Memorial Cemetery, the only UN military cemetery in the world, is considered a symbol of international solidarity.

Busan UN Memorial Cemetery.

Spaces reflecting the lives of refugees are also included. Amidon Tombstone Village is a refugee settlement built on a cemetery, where tombstones were used as retaining walls and steps. Uam-dong Somak Village is an example of a former Japanese colonial-era quarantine facility being converted into refugee housing. Yeongdo Bridge is remembered as a symbolic location for separated families during the war. The Bokbyeongsan Water Reservoir supplied drinking water to refugees far beyond its designed capacity, serving as key infrastructure for a wartime city.

The Cultural Heritage Committee evaluated these sites as "embodying the values of peace for humanity pursued by the international community." Among the 14 heritage sites currently on Korea’s World Heritage Tentative List, only two—the Hoeamsa Temple Site in Yangju and the Sites of the Wartime Capital of Busan—have made it onto the priority list for inscription.

However, there are also challenges. During the review process, concerns were raised about the need for protection measures against urban development pressures and the sustainability of some sites, such as the Uam-dong Somak residential area. Consequently, the initial target year for inscription, which was 2028, has been adjusted to 2030. Busan, a city that endured the scars of war, has now entered the stage of proving the world heritage value of its memories.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.