Jinan County's Forest Greening Records Listed as UNESCO Memory of the World Heritage

Including Jungpyeong Village Forestry Association Records

The "Forest Rehabilitation Records," which include the forestry association documents from Jungpyeong Village, Dotong-ri, Seongsu-myeon, Jinan-gun, North Jeolla Province, have been officially inscribed as a UNESCO Memory of the World at the UNESCO Executive Board meeting held in Paris, France, on June 10 (local time).

Inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register - JinAn Jungpyeong Village Forest System Water Register. Provided by JinAn History Museum

According to the county on the 15th, UNESCO designates Memory of the World heritage for records deemed worthy of preservation by humanity, with the aim of systematically preserving and promoting the use of documentary heritage of global value.

Korea's "Forest Rehabilitation Records" are documents that capture the successful national restoration achieved through public-private cooperation in reforesting the devastated land after the Korean War. These records have been highly regarded as exemplary cases for other developing countries and as models addressing international issues such as climate change response and desertification prevention.

The "Forest Rehabilitation Records" newly inscribed as Memory of the World this time comprise a total of 9,619 items, including official documents and photographs. Among them are materials related to the forestry association (Sanrim-gye), a village community established by Jungpyeong Village and neighboring Jeomchon Village to protect and utilize their communal forest.

These materials include the association's articles of incorporation and the "Sugaegi," a detailed record of its operations. In 2006, they were donated to the Jinan History Museum, which comprehensively exhibits and researches the historical culture of Jinan, and have since been preserved and managed there.

In particular, the "Sugaegi" of Jungpyeong Village's forestry association documents the operations of the organization from the late 1800s to the late 1980s, demonstrating its long history.

The "Sugaegi" also shows that the forestry association, as a community organized to protect and utilize the village's communal forest, made efforts to secure firewood and compost materials essential for villagers' livelihoods. It also contains records of penalties imposed on those who violated the association's rules, such as secretly cutting down trees.

Such grassroots efforts for forest preservation, alongside the efforts and achievements of the government and public organizations, have enhanced the value of Korea's "Forest Rehabilitation Records" as a Memory of the World, contributing to their inscription this time.

Jeon Chunseong, governor of Jinan-gun, stated, "The inscription of the Jungpyeong Village forestry association records as a Memory of the World highlights the excellence of our regional cultural heritage and the important role of local museums in researching and preserving it. We will continue our efforts to clarify and preserve the historical value of our regional cultural heritage, taking this inscription as an opportunity."