World heritage experts gather in S. Korea ahead of UNESCO committee meeting

SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- Scores of heritage professionals from around the world gathered in South Korea on Thursday for a forum on safeguarding UNESCO World Heritage sites, organizers said, as the country prepares to host a major global heritage meeting later this month.

The Korea Heritage Service and the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage said the eighth World Heritage Site Managers' Forum will run through next Thursday across Busan and the nearby cities of Gyeongju, Ulsan and Gimhae in cooperation with UNESCO's World Heritage Center, the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

This file photo shows the Bangudae Petroglyphs, prehistoric rock carvings along a stream in suburban Ulsan, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2025. (Yonhap)

The forum is one of the official pre-events for the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee scheduled for July 19-29 in Busan, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul. It marks the first time South Korea has hosted the meeting since joining the World Heritage Convention in 1988.

About 80 World Heritage site managers and experts from across the world will discuss their countries' systems for heritage conservation and management as well as experiences with international cooperation during the forum, titled "Connection and Communication: participatory approaches to managing World Heritage."

This image from the Korea Heritage Service shows Yangdong Village in Gyeongju (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Field visits are scheduled throughout the program. Attendees will tour Yangdong Village and Oksan Seowon in Gyeongju on Friday, along with the Bangudae Petroglyphs, prehistoric rock carvings along a stream in suburban Ulsan. Participants will also visit key historic excavation sites in Gyeongju on Monday before traveling to a tomb cluster from Korea's ancient confederation Gaya in Gimhae on the final day.

An official from the research institute said the forum would serve as an opportunity for South Korea to strengthen its role in global heritage conservation and expand international cooperation.

This image from the Korea Heritage Service shows Oksan Seowon in Gyeongju (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)