UNESCO World Heritage Committee to Convene in Busan Next July... First Time in Korea

Participation from 196 Countries Worldwide

A key meeting in the UNESCO World Heritage sector will be held in Busan next year.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee selected Korea as the host country for the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2026 during a meeting held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, on the 15th (local time). As a result, the next meeting is scheduled to take place in Busan in July next year.

This will be the first time that the World Heritage Committee is held in Korea. In Asia, the committee has previously convened in Phuket, Thailand (1994); Kyoto, Japan (1998); Suzhou, China (2004); Fuzhou, China (2021, held virtually); Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Cambodia (2013); and New Delhi, India (2024).

The World Heritage Committee is an international conference held annually to decide on major issues related to the inscription, preservation, and protection of World Heritage sites, in accordance with the "Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage" established in 1972. A total of 196 countries participate worldwide.