Busan to host 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session

A promotional poster for the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee Busan 2026 [Busan city government]

The 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee, co-hosted by the Cultural Heritage Administration and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, will be held at BEXCO in Busan from Sunday through July 29.

Busan city said Thursday that delegations from member states, whose pre-forum sessions began Monday, will open the committee Sunday and convene the first plenary session Monday to discuss key agenda items including the conservation and inscription of World Heritage sites. A closing ceremony is scheduled for July 28, with the official conclusion on July 29. It is the first time South Korea has hosted the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

About 3,000 participants are expected to attend — including UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Anany, ministerial-level representatives from 21 committee member states, and delegations from 196 signatory countries — comprising roughly 2,400 foreign visitors and 600 Koreans. Organizers expect the event to draw up to 120,000 domestic and international visitors.

Tailored programs will run during the event to give committee participants an immersive experience of Busan's history and culture. These include a "Busan Heritage Field Trip" covering wartime-capital heritage sites such as the Modern and Contemporary History Museum and the Provisional Capital Memorial Hall, as well as traditional markets, and a "World Heritage Field Trip" to sites including the Bangudae petroglyphs in Ulsan and Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju. A limited-edition "Visit Busan Pass" will also be available to help participants explore the city on their own.

At a host-city welcome dinner on July 23, the Busan Metropolitan Dance Company will perform a special show titled "Baraneun Bada," and guests will be served a menu of local ingredients including wartime-era rice balls and Gijang Hanwoo beef. Hangul calligraphy experiences will be offered inside the venue, and Busan's cultural heritage product line "Gowaye" will also be on display.

A range of cultural events open to the public will run alongside the main sessions. From Monday through July 29, Exhibition Hall 1 at BEXCO will host the "Host City Busan Pavilion," offering a panoramic look at the port city's past and future. On Saturday and Sunday, a special outdoor World Heritage-themed film screening tied to a travel film festival will take place at the Busan Cinema Center. Additional programs — including a Joseon Tongsinsa envoy procession and boarding experience, a nighttime heritage walk through wartime-capital Busan, and academic seminars — will round out the public offerings.

Busan's children's press corps, the Wartime Capital Busan Global Supporters, and a local volunteer corps will participate to promote the city. The Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and BNK Busan Bank are also lending support through program operations and promotional activities.

Shuttle buses connecting Gimhae Airport, Busan Station and accommodation venues will operate throughout the arrival and departure period to assist participants with transportation.

The city views the committee as a key opportunity to raise the profile of Busan's cultural heritage on the world stage and build a lasting "Busan legacy." A city official said the administration plans to pursue adoption of an international declaration — the "Busan Declaration" — embodying the city's signature agenda during the committee, and will follow up with initiatives including hosting a global heritage forum and attracting a UNESCO Category 2 Centre.

Meanwhile, the city has established a comprehensive safety management framework in coordination with police, fire departments and other relevant agencies, covering traffic, security, disaster response and medical services. On July 6, a joint anti-terrorism drill involving civilian, government, military, police and fire department personnel was conducted under the auspices of the Busan Regional Counter-Terrorism Council.

Mayor Jeon Jae-soo called on residents to take interest in and support the event, saying the city would work to achieve UNESCO World Heritage inscription of the "Busan Wartime Capital Heritage" by 2030 and transform Busan into a city of beautiful heritage that draws visitors from around the world.

kaf2002@heraldcorp.com