Passed Completeness Check by World Heritage Centre
IUCN to Begin Evaluation of Appropriateness This Month
Our country's tidal flats, a treasure trove of ecosystems and a habitat for migratory birds, have passed the first hurdle for additional inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list. On the 7th, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced that the application for the expanded inscription of 'Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats (PhaseⅡ),' submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in January, was recognized as suitable in the completeness check. The completeness check is a process conducted by the World Heritage Centre to review whether the nomination dossier meets formal requirements. Only after passing this can the nomination proceed to the World Heritage inscription evaluation.
Korean tidal flats are home to about 2,000 species, including endangered migratory birds, and are globally significant natural heritage. Recognized for their value as an indispensable stopover and habitat for migratory birds along the East Asia?Australasia Flyway, they were inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2021. This is Korea's fifteenth World Heritage site and second natural heritage, encompassing tidal flats in Seocheon, Chungnam; Gochang, Jeonbuk; and Sinan, Boseong, and Suncheon, Jeonnam.
Following recommendations from the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the Cultural Heritage Administration has prepared to expand the inscription by adding additional tidal flats to protect and enhance the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the heritage. The areas targeted for expansion include tidal flats in Seosan, Chungnam, and Muan, Goheung, and Yeosu, Jeonnam. The buffer zones around the tidal flats in Seocheon, Gochang, Boseong, and Suncheon, which were included in Phase 1, have also been expanded to fully encompass the range and habitats of waterbirds.
Having passed the completeness check, 'Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats (PhaseⅡ)' will now be evaluated for appropriateness by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the expert advisory body, starting this month in accordance with Paragraph 140 of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. If it proceeds to review, the decision on inscription will be made at the 48th World Heritage Committee meeting scheduled for July 2026. The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "We will work with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, local governments, and the Korean Getbol World Heritage Promotion Team to ensure the site is inscribed as a World Heritage."
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