Will Busan Host Next Year's World Heritage Committee? Decision Expected Tonight at the Earliest

The Largest International Event in the Field of Cultural Heritage
South Korea Highly Likely to Be Selected as the Next Host Country

The decision on whether Busan will host next summer's UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting will be made today.

On July 15 (local time), the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will hold a meeting at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, to announce the host country for the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, scheduled for July next year. So far, South Korea is reportedly the only country to have expressed interest in hosting the event, making it highly likely to be selected as the next host country. The Korean government recently selected Busan as the candidate city through a public bidding process. The host country and city are expected to be officially announced as early as the night of July 15, or at the latest, in the early morning of July 16, Korea time.

The World Heritage Committee, held annually, is the largest international event in the field of cultural heritage. Approximately 3,000 participants, including delegations from 196 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, the Secretary-General of UNESCO, academic experts, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), attend the event to inscribe or discuss the preservation and protection of World Heritage sites recognized as having Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). Major policies related to heritage are also determined at the meeting.

The World Heritage Committee, which began in Paris, France, in 1977, has never been held in South Korea. In Asia, it has previously been hosted in Phuket, Thailand (1994); Kyoto, Japan (1998); Suzhou, China (2004); and Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Cambodia (2013). Choi Eungcheon, Administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration, stated, "South Korea is a cultural heritage powerhouse with seventeen World Heritage sites," and added, "If the World Heritage Committee is held in Busan next year, it will become a global festival that attracts attention from around the world."