Hwasun Unjusa 'World Heritage Registration' Domestic Academic Conference Successfully Concluded

A domestic academic conference for the inscription of Unjusa Temple in Hwasun, Jeollanam-do as a World Heritage site was held amid enthusiastic interest from local residents.

Hwasun County (Governor Gu Bok-gyu) announced on the 3rd that it recently held a domestic academic conference to register the Unjusa Stone Buddha and Stone Pagoda Group as a World Heritage site at the auditorium on the 2nd floor of the Hwasun Cultural Center.

The event was actively conducted with the participation of about 100 people, including the chief monk of Unjusa Temple in Muan, local residents, and interested members of the public.

This was a practical academic conference presenting the results of research conducted since 2023 to identify the World Heritage value of the Unjusa Stone Buddha and Stone Pagoda Group and to derive its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) as a World Heritage site.

In particular, experts evaluated that the academic conference made significant progress in clarifying the World Heritage value of the Unjusa Stone Buddha and Stone Pagoda Group through thorough data investigation and presentations by the presenters, as well as diverse and active inquiries from local residents.

Furthermore, various proposals from presenters, discussants, and experts, as well as questions from local residents, will be actively reviewed by the research team and Hwasun County and will be actively reflected when applying for World Heritage inscription.

A county official said, “More active discussions are expected through the international academic conference scheduled for the 20th and 21st,” adding, “We hope that the promotion of the inscription of the Unjusa Stone Buddha and Stone Pagoda Group in Hwasun will spread nationwide beyond the local area.”

Meanwhile, the Hwasun Unjusa site is designated as a national heritage historic site, and under the name of the Hwasun Unjusa Stone Buddha and Stone Pagoda Group, it has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list since 2017.