UNESCO Hoegwan and Haegwan Report Documents Managed as Cultural Heritage

UNESCO Hall, Early Building Featuring Modern Architectural Techniques
Customs Report Documents Reveal Tasks and Situations During the Opening Period

The UNESCO Hall and customs (haegwan) report documents (Incheon, Busan, Wonsan) will be managed as cultural heritage. The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 14th that it has completed the registration of these two cultural properties.

The UNESCO Hall, located in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul, is a 13-story building completed in 1967. At the time, it applied the rare curtain wall construction method, erecting an exterior wall of glass on steel columns. It is an early building reflecting modern architectural techniques and has maintained its original form. Various meetings and academic forums have been held inside over the years. The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "It is a cradle of educational, scientific, and cultural activities used as a base for international activities," and added, "A ceremony to deliver the national registered cultural heritage certificate will be held on the 15th."

The customs report documents housed at the National Library of Korea consist of twenty-two reports created by the Incheon, Busan, and Wonsan customs offices, which handled customs duties at open ports during the 1880s and 1890s. These documents reveal information on customs duties, port construction, concession area surveying, quarantine, and customs administration, as well as blueprints of customs office buildings. They also provide insight into the quarantine guidelines issued in 1886 to prevent the spread of cholera. The Cultural Heritage Administration commented, "These materials inform not only the basic duties performed by each customs office during the opening period but also the specific situations of each customs office," emphasizing their significant historical value.