Korean Committee for UNESCO Memory of the World Restructured... Shin Seungwoon Appointed as Chairperson

National Heritage Administration Appoints Twelve Private Sector and Government Committee Members
Serving as a 'Gateway' to Globalizing Korea's Documentary Heritage

The Korean National Committee for UNESCO Memory of the World, which leads the registration and management of UNESCO Memory of the World heritage, has been newly restructured.

The National Heritage Administration announced on January 29 that it has newly appointed twelve committee members and signaled the start of full-scale activities. Shin Seungwoon, Professor Emeritus at Sungkyunkwan University, has been elected as the new chairperson. He is a renowned scholar who has built expertise in ancient literature and archival studies, having served as Director of the Institute for the Translation of Korean Classics, Chairperson of the Cultural Heritage Committee (now the Cultural Heritage Committee), and President of the Korean Bibliographic Society.

This committee brings together both private sector experts and government officials, ensuring both expertise and administrative capacity. Kim Guibae, Director of Audit at the Korean National Commission for UNESCO; Park Kyungmok, Professor at Chungnam National University; and Lee Hyunkyung, Professor at the Center for Whole Person Education at Sogang University, along with other academic and field experts, will serve as members until December 2029. Three members-Lee Gilbae, Director General of Heritage Policy at the National Heritage Administration; Kim Youngbin, Director of Records Policy at the National Archives; and Seo Hyunsook, Director of the Intellectual Solidarity Headquarters at the Korean National Commission for UNESCO-will join as ex officio members to provide policy support.

The committee serves as a 'gateway' for bringing Korea's documentary heritage to the global stage. It is responsible for selecting candidates for registration, meticulously reviewing applications, checking the preservation status of heritage, responding to international issues, and making key decisions regarding all aspects of documentary heritage.

Since 1997, starting with the "Hunminjeongeum (Haeryebon)" and the "Annals of the Joseon Dynasty," Korea has acquired a total of twenty UNESCO Memory of the World heritage items, including last year's registrations of the "Forest Rehabilitation Records" and the "Jeju 4·3 Records."

The National Heritage Administration stated, "We will spare no effort in providing multifaceted support so that the committee can actively discover potential documentary heritage and play a pivotal role in promoting their value to the world."