Busan Development Institute to Hold Academic Forum on Promotion of World Heritage Registration for Busan Refuge Capital Heritage on August 15

Assessing Achievements and Exploring Future Strategies for World Heritage Registration Efforts on the Symbolic Liberation Day

The Busan Development Institute will hold the 2nd academic forum, titled "Retrospect and Prospects of the Promotion of World Heritage Registration for Busan Refuge Capital Heritage," on August 15 at 2:00 p.m. on the first floor of the annex building of the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum.

This forum is part of the research cooperation project for the promotion of World Heritage registration for Busan Refuge Capital Heritage, and has been organized as a pre-linked academic event for the "2025 Busan Refuge Capital National Heritage Night Tour" hosted by Busan City.

The forum will feature four thematic presentations and a comprehensive discussion. Shin Sangwon, a researcher at the Busan Development Institute, will present on "Trends in the Promotion of World Heritage Registration for Busan Refuge Capital," and Yoon Gukbin, another researcher, will discuss "Preservation, Management, and Enjoying World Heritage to the Fullest." Researcher Kim Doyang will address "Efforts by Busan and Its Citizens for World Heritage Registration," while Professor Lee Jeongseon of the University of Tokyo will give a lecture on "Busan Refuge Capital: Blossoming Humanism."

Following the presentations, Kim Minkyoung, a research fellow at the Busan Development Institute; Ryu Seunghoon, curator at the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum; Son Heonil, principal research fellow at the Busan Development Institute; and Jeon Sunghyun, professor in the Department of History at Dong-A University, will participate in the discussion.

This academic forum aims to review the current status of the World Heritage registration efforts for Busan Refuge Capital Heritage from an academic perspective, to promote domestic and international consensus, and to explore sustainable preservation and management strategies. In particular, it seeks to shed new light on the historical and humanistic value of Busan during the Korean War and to emphasize the role of civil society.

Kwon Taesang, head of the Busan Studies Research Center at the Busan Development Institute, stated, "It is highly symbolic to review the achievements of the registration efforts and present a future vision on a day as historically significant as Liberation Day," adding, "Through the forum, we will strengthen the foundation for broad civic participation."