Garorim Bay and Seosan Tidal Flats Receive Green Light for UNESCO World Heritage Listing

Application for Inscription of "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats" Passes Completeness Check
Final Decision on World Heritage Listing to Be Made at July 2026 Committee Meeting

A panoramic view of Garorim Bay, which forms the boundary between Seosan City and Taean County in Chungnam. /Seosan City

A green light has been given for the inscription of the "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats" in Garorim Bay and the Seosan tidal flats as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The city of Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, announced on the 7th that the application for the second phase extension of the "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats" World Heritage Site, submitted to UNESCO last January, has passed the completeness check by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

The completeness check is a process to review whether the application meets formal requirements, and the official inscription procedure begins only after passing this check.

The city, in cooperation with the National Heritage Administration and the Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats World Heritage Inscription Promotion Team, passed the completeness check on the first attempt.

The "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats" World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2021, includes the tidal flats of Seocheon, Gochang, Shinan, and Boseong-Suncheon. At the time of inscription, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee recommended that the Republic of Korea extend the inscription to include tidal flats in the northwestern region of the country.

In January 2025, the National Heritage Administration applied for the extension of the "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats" inscription to include the tidal flats of Garorim Bay in Seosan, as well as the tidal flats of Muan-gun, Goheung-gun, and Yeosu-si in Jeollanam-do.

With the successful completion of the completeness check, an on-site inspection and comprehensive review by the International Union for Conservation of Nature will take place this year, and the final decision on inscription is expected at the World Heritage Committee meeting in July 2026.

The city expects that if the Garorim Bay Seosan tidal flats are inscribed as a World Heritage Site next year, it will lay the foundation for research on biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and climate change, as well as tourism, thereby driving regional development.

In particular, if the designation of Garorim Bay as a National Marine Ecological Park, which is being actively promoted with South Chungcheong Province, is completed, Garorim Bay is expected to emerge as a key region for new marine industries based on its ecological environment, creating a synergistic effect.

Meanwhile, Garorim Bay, one of the world's five largest tidal flats, was designated as the nation's first marine life protection zone in 2016 due to its significance as one of the most important and meaningful habitats for global biodiversity conservation.

In particular, it is recognized as a highly valuable area for environmental protection, serving as a stopover for endangered migratory birds and as a habitat for the spotted seal, a natural monument.