Korea-ASEAN Cultural Heritage Cooperation on Track... Future Strategies Discussed in Busan

Working-Level Meetings Held Alongside the World Heritage Committee
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South Korea and ASEAN discussed medium- to long-term cooperation strategies to expand collaboration in the field of cultural heritage in Busan. Both sides agreed to accelerate the "Joint Cooperation Project on Shared Cultural Heritage," which will be pursued through 2029, and strengthen practical cooperation in areas such as cultural heritage research, preservation, and digital content development.

Heo Min, Director of the National Heritage Administration, taking a commemorative photo with ASEAN ambassadors to Korea at the 8th Korea-ASEAN Cultural Heritage Consultative Body Operational Meeting. National Heritage Administration

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 23rd that it held the "8th Korea-ASEAN Cultural Heritage Consultative Meeting" in Busan from July 22 to 23, together with the ASEAN Secretariat and the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Held as a side event of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, this meeting was attended by Heo Min, Director of the Cultural Heritage Administration, the ASEAN Ambassadors to Korea, and about 50 representatives from cultural heritage organizations from all 11 ASEAN member states.

The Korea-ASEAN Cultural Heritage Consultative Body, established in 2022, operates to identify cooperative agendas in the field of cultural heritage and promote joint projects between South Korea and ASEAN member countries. At this meeting, the participants reviewed past cooperation outcomes and focused on discussing future cooperation strategies in line with the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Vision and cultural and artistic strategies.

The main agenda was the "Korea-ASEAN Joint Cooperation Project on Shared Cultural Heritage," to be implemented from 2026 to 2029. This project, based on the Korea-ASEAN Cooperation Fund, aims to contribute to strengthening ASEAN's cultural identity and socio-cultural integration by conducting research on shared cultural heritage, raising awareness, building preservation capabilities, publishing research volumes, and developing immersive content utilizing cultural heritage.

During the roundtable held on the first day between the Cultural Heritage Administration and the ASEAN Ambassadors to Korea, participants discussed the future direction of and ways to expand cooperation on cultural heritage between Korea and ASEAN. In the subsequent working session, the Cultural Heritage Administration presented the joint cooperation project plan, and the ASEAN Secretariat introduced ASEAN’s cultural heritage policy direction, including the "ASEAN Culture and Arts Strategy (2026–2035)" and the current state of cooperation with Korea.

After the meeting, participants toured the "K-Heritage House," a side event of the World Heritage Committee, and visited the United Nations Memorial Cemetery and the KF ASEAN Culture House. The United Nations Memorial Cemetery is one of the components of the "Heritage of the Wartime Capital City of Busan during the Korean War," included in UNESCO’s priority World Heritage List, and served as a reminder of the historical solidarity among Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and other ASEAN nations.

On the second day, participants shared examples of international cooperation in cultural heritage from each ASEAN member state and the collaborative activities of related organizations in Korea, and discussed concrete implementation strategies for the joint cooperation project as well as the future direction of collaboration.

An official from the Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "We plan to further broaden the areas of cooperation in the future to include the creative industries related to cultural heritage, the use of digital technology, and responses to climate change and disasters, thereby establishing a sustainable system of Korea-ASEAN cultural heritage cooperation."

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