Pushing for the Resumption of Joint Investigations at Manwoldae and Yujeomsa Temple
Considering Joint World Heritage Listing of the DMZ
"We will invite North Korea to the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which will be held in Busan next year." This was the message delivered by Heo Min, Director of the National Heritage Administration, during his first press conference after taking office. On September 8, at Seokjojeon Hall in Deoksugung Palace, Seoul, he stated, "Since the event will be held in South Korea, I sent a letter to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, requesting her to mediate efforts for joint participation by both Koreas." He added, "We plan to discuss this issue at the UNESCO General Conference at the end of November."
Heo Min, Director of the National Heritage Administration [Provided by National Heritage Administration]
Heo Min pointed to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a symbolic space where North and South Korea could join hands. He emphasized, "The DMZ is a place where history, culture, and nature coexist. If both Koreas work together to have it inscribed as a World Heritage site, we can send a message of peace to the world." He continued, "Even if the World Heritage Committee is held in Busan, we will seek ways to make a 'peace declaration' at the DMZ itself."
The resumption of cultural heritage exchanges between North and South Korea is also included as a key task announced by the National Heritage Administration on this day. Joint investigations of Manwoldae, the Goryeo royal palace site in Kaesong, which have been suspended since 2018, were specified as a priority. From the first excavation in 2007 to 2018, the two Koreas carried out eight joint projects, confirming more than half of the entire site and recovering over 17,000 artifacts, including metal type, ceramics, and roof tiles. However, as relations soured, both the investigations and practical consultations have come to a complete halt.
Although the announcement was made with the condition that activities would resume "once circumstances allow," it is interpreted as a signal to break the current deadlock in exchanges. Director Heo Min also mentioned Yujeomsa Temple, one of the major temples on Mount Geumgang, which North Korea had listed as a World Heritage site this year, as a potential area for cooperation. In the past, North and South Korea agreed to restore this temple, but the plan was never realized.
Heo Min, Director of the National Heritage Administration [Provided by National Heritage Administration]
Specific implementation plans remain a challenge. Both the Manwoldae investigation and the restoration of Yujeomsa Temple are heavily dependent on political and diplomatic conditions, and require cooperation between relevant government agencies and private organizations. In reality, it may take a considerable amount of time before these projects can resume. Director Heo Min stated, "I have conveyed the intention for inter-Korean exchanges to key UNESCO advisory bodies, including Teresa Patrizio, Chair of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral, Secretary-General of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), who recently visited South Korea. I will actively discuss this matter at the UNESCO General Conference."
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