Korea's First UNESCO World Heritage Committee Opens in Busan

President Lee Jaemyung and G-Dragon Among Attendees
2,929 Participants from 155 Countries Registered; Committee Runs Until the 29th

Visitors exploring the interior of BEXCO in Busan, the venue for the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held in Korea for the first time, kicked off with an opening ceremony at 6:00 p.m. on July 19 at BEXCO in Busan. The event included an official reception, a pre-ceremony event, a special performance, and a welcome reception, with attendees such as President Lee Jaemyung, UNESCO Secretary-General Khaled El-Enany, National Heritage Administration Commissioner Heo Min, and Busan Mayor Jun Jaesoo.

The special performance, themed "A Roof Embracing the Sky, Resonance Connecting Generations," began with a modern interpretation of the Gyeongbokgung Palace Royal Guard’s gate opening performance, followed by contemporary reinterpretations of traditional dances such as Ilmu, Shintaepyeongmu, and Ganggangsullae.

Panoramic view of Busan BEXCO, the venue for the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting.

Ambassador G-Dragon took the stage and said, "Preserving heritage goes beyond safeguarding the past; it is about creating peace for the future." He expressed his hope that the spirit originating in Busan would reach across the world for peace.

In his congratulatory remarks, President Lee Jaemyung emphasized the importance of international cooperation through culture and heritage during this era of conflict and division. Secretary-General El-Enany expressed gratitude for Korea’s contributions to the World Heritage Convention.

The plenary session, presided over by Chairperson Lee Byunghyun, will officially open at 10:00 a.m. on July 20. In the host country's opening address, National Heritage Administration Commissioner Heo Min is expected to highlight the threats to heritage posed by war and climate change and to call for international solidarity, citing the preservation of the Abu Simbel temples as an example.

To commemorate the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the host country's official exhibition hall, "K-Heritage House," was set up at BEXCO in Busan.

As of the morning of July 19, 2,929 participants from 155 countries had registered for this committee, and a team of 60 guides was stationed to support the delegations. In commemoration of the event, the National Heritage Administration and UNESCO distributed the "World Heritage Magazine" and a "Special Edition World Heritage Map," featuring stories of Korean heritage, in Korean, English, and French. The committee will conclude on July 29.

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