A foundation dedicated to the integrated management of the seven Gaya Tumuli sites in Korea, which are inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, has been established in Gimhae, Gyeongnam Province, where the Daeseongdong Tumuli are located.
On October 13, the Gyeongnam Provincial Government held the inauguration ceremony for the Gaya Tumuli World Heritage Management Foundation at the National Gaya History and Culture Center in Gwandong-dong, Gimhae.
The Daeseongdong Tumuli in Gimhae, the Marisan Tumuli in Haman, the Songhakdong Tumuli in Goseong, the Gyodong and Songhyeondong Tumuli in Changnyeong, the Okjeon Tumuli in Hapcheon, the Jisan-dong Tumuli in Goryeong, North Gyeongsang Province, and the Yugok-ri and Durak-ri Tumuli in Namwon, North Jeolla Province, were inscribed as World Heritage Sites in September 2023.
The inauguration ceremony of the Gaya Tumuli World Heritage Management Foundation was held in Gimhae, Gyeongnam, where the Daeseongdong Tumuli are located. Photo by Gyeongnam Province
The foundation was established to systematically manage and preserve the seven UNESCO Gaya Tumuli sites, which are spread across three provinces-Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, and Jeonbuk-and seven cities and counties.
Going forward, the foundation will be responsible for efficient integrated management of the Gaya Tumuli, preparation of regular UNESCO reports, domestic and international promotion and exchange, and the development of historical, cultural, and tourism content.
In addition, the foundation will carry out professional education, organize academic symposiums, operate community participation programs, and participate in expositions.
Through these efforts, the foundation aims to minimize disparities in preservation and management systems among local governments, ensure consistent preservation, research, and utilization, and widely promote the value of the Gaya Tumuli.
The foundation's operating expenses will be jointly funded by ten local governments, which will contribute assets and dispatch public officials to the management foundation.
The inauguration ceremony, held under the theme "Seven Stories, One Gaya," brought together more than 400 participants, including officials from the National Heritage Administration and ten local governments where the Gaya Tumuli are located.
Among those in attendance to celebrate the foundation's launch were Governor Park Wansu, Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly Chairman Choi Hakbeom, Gimhae Mayor Hong Taeyong, Haman County Governor Cho Geunje, Changnyeong County Governor Seong Nakin, Goseong County Governor Lee Sanggeun, Hapcheon County Governor Kim Yuncheol, National Heritage Administration National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage Director Lim Jongdeok, Jeonbuk Province Director of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lee Jeongseok, Gyeongbuk Province Director of Culture, Tourism and Sports Kim Byeonggon, Goryeong County Deputy Governor Kim Chungbok, and Namwon City Director of Culture, Tourism and Education Park Junki.
Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, is delivering a commemorative speech at the launch ceremony of the Gaya Tumuli World Heritage Management Foundation. Provided by Gyeongnam Province
Governor Park stated, "It is our responsibility and duty to preserve Gaya's cultural heritage and pass it on to future generations," adding, "I hope the management foundation will fulfill its central role in this mission."
He continued, "The inscription of the Gaya Tumuli as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the launch of the management foundation signify that Gaya's history is no longer a forgotten past but is now recognized as part of human history. I hope that the efforts to uncover and inherit traces of Gaya will, through the establishment of this foundation, become a catalyst for a new understanding of history."
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