'We didn't expect the Sado Mine recommendation to pass,' says heritage chief Heo Min

Cultural Heritage Administration Commissioner Heo Min delivers closing remarks at the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session. [Cultural Heritage Administration]

"We kept pushing for the Sado Mine recommendation right up until the meeting, but honestly we weren't sure it would pass. Getting it adopted was a remarkable outcome that exceeded our original expectations."

Cultural Heritage Administration Commissioner Heo Min shared the results of the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which closed in Busan on Wednesday, at a press briefing held during the session. He said the meeting "became an important occasion for imprinting the value, technology and culture of Korea's national heritage on the world." Heo cited the passage of the Sado Mine recommendation and the adoption of the Busan Declaration as the meeting's headline achievements, and said Korea had demonstrated its capacity for "heritage diplomacy" by leading multilateral cooperation as the host country.

Sado Mine recommendation adopted, laying groundwork to press Japan

Cultural Heritage Administration Commissioner Heo Min delivers an opening address at the plenary session of the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee. [Cultural Heritage Administration]

Heo named the adoption of a UNESCO recommendation on Japan's Sado Mine as one of the most closely watched outcomes of the committee. On July 23, the World Heritage Committee recommended that the parties work closely with the World Heritage Centre to comprehensively address the site's "complete history" on-site and to improve its interpretation, exhibition strategy and facilities — a move widely interpreted as an international call for Japan to clearly acknowledge the history of Korean forced labor at the mine.

Heo credited the World Heritage Centre's decisive action as the primary force behind the recommendation, noting that the Centre departed from its usual practice of staying neutral and avoiding involvement in disputes between states.

"The coordination among government ministries, combined with the World Heritage Centre's direct communication with the UNESCO Director-General and its support and courage on multiple fronts, were the key factors that drove this recommendation through," he said.

World Heritage Centre Director Lazare Eloundou Assomo. [Cultural Heritage Administration]

World Heritage Centre Director Lazare Eloundou Assomo played a particularly active role in the Sado Mine issue.

In an interview with Korean media on July 24, Assomo said the decision "was adopted through the consensus of all committee member states," adding that "the key point is that it is a consensus reflecting the understanding and expectations of each country."

Under the decision, Japan must submit a progress report on follow-up measures to the World Heritage Centre by Dec. 1, 2027, and the committee will conduct a comprehensive review of Japan's implementation at its 50th session in 2028.

"This recommendation is significant because it establishes a foundation for the international community to continuously monitor and apply pressure regarding Japan's compliance," Heo said.

'Busan Declaration' drives Korea-led 6C framework

Committee Chair Lee Byung-hyun presides over the adoption of the Busan Declaration on World Heritage. [Cultural Heritage Administration]

Heo also highlighted the adoption of the Korea-led Busan Declaration on World Heritage as a central achievement of the committee. UNESCO had previously operated under a "5C" strategic framework — credibility, conservation, capacity-building, communication and communities — but Korea proposed adding "Collaboration" to create a 6C system.

The proposal won support from member states at the plenary and was adopted by consensus on July 20. Although changes to strategic frameworks typically require lengthy deliberation in international forums, the proposal's timeliness in addressing global challenges such as the climate crisis and armed conflict resonated with member states.

"In an era when war and climate change are causing serious damage to World Heritage sites, no single country can manage recovery on its own," Heo said. "We emphasized the need for a multilateral cooperation model that incorporates Korean technology such as AI and digital databases, and that argument led to the declaration's adoption."

The government plans to go beyond the declaration's adoption and take follow-up steps to have it enshrined as a formal UNESCO decision, with the broader goal of elevating Korea's standing in the international heritage community.

"We have already reached an agreement with UNESCO and local governments to regularly host a tentatively named 'Busan World Heritage Forum,' inviting heritage experts and stakeholders from around the world to Korea each year," Heo said. "Through the forum, we will work to establish Korea as a hub for shaping global heritage policy."

Record-breaking meeting; 'Tidal Flats of Korea' Phase 2 inscribed

Cultural Heritage Administration Commissioner Heo Min (right) and UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Anany tour the Korea Pavilion at BEXCO's Exhibition Hall 1 in Haeundae-gu, Busan, on July 20. [Yonhap]

The 11-day committee session set records in both scale and substance. A total of 33 heritage nominations were reviewed, with 28 approved for inscription — including 25 new listings — bringing the total number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites to 1,273 across 173 countries.

The meeting drew 3,140 participants from more than 160 countries, including national delegations, media, NGOs and advisory bodies. In a first for the World Heritage Committee, a sitting foreign head of state — Azali Assoumani, president of the Comoros — attended in person. President Lee Jae-myung and a large contingent of prime ministers and ministerial-level government representatives from various countries also visited, turning the event into a summit-level stage for heritage diplomacy.

Yeosu tidal flats. [Korea Tidal Flat World Heritage Inscription Promotion Group]

The Phase 2 UNESCO World Heritage inscription of the "Tidal Flats of Korea" was confirmed on Saturday, expanding the previously inscribed area by 22 percent. The decision added four sites — the Yeosu, Goheung, Muan and Seosan tidal flats — to the "Tidal Flats of Korea," which had first been inscribed in 2021. The serial property was reorganized into six component zones: Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung, Sinan-Muan Tando Bay, Muan Hamhae Bay, Gochang, Seocheon and Seosan. At the plenary session, Heo attended in hanbok alongside officials and celebrated as the final inscription result was announced.

"This is a deeply meaningful achievement that further strengthens the biodiversity conservation value and integrity of our tidal flats," Heo said. "Remembering that the tidal flats are not only Korea's heritage but the heritage of all humanity, we will work together with local communities to preserve their outstanding universal value."

Korea Pavilion a resounding success, cementing status as heritage powerhouse

Crowds line up outside the Korea Pavilion. [Yonhap]

The Korea Pavilion, known as K-Heritage House and operated through the collaboration of 35 institutions including the Cultural Heritage Administration, was another standout achievement on the ground. About 10,000 people visited each day from the moment it opened, and cumulative attendance surpassed 130,000 by closing day — realizing the organizers' original vision of making it a festival for all Koreans. A pop-up store featuring products inspired by traditional culture and national heritage also proved a hit, recording sales of approximately 282.75 million won ($196,000).

"The response was so overwhelming — far more visitors than we expected — that we had to make a special request to the fire department and police for safety management," Heo said. "This meeting set a benchmark in terms of content quality and operational infrastructure that future host countries will feel the pressure to match."

Cultural Heritage Administration Commissioner Heo Min and officials wave South Korean flags at the plenary session of the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee at BEXCO in Busan on Saturday after the Phase 2 inscription of the "Tidal Flats of Korea" was confirmed. [Yonhap]

The Busan meeting is widely seen as having established Korea not merely as a country with World Heritage Sites, but as a "heritage powerhouse" that leads international norms and discourse. The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to sustain and expand that global leadership through the institutionalization of the Busan Declaration, the regularization of the forum and the expansion of the World Heritage Fund.

"Even amid diverse challenges, the international community must protect World Heritage through solidarity and cooperation," Heo said. "Korea will continue to work actively with the international community toward the conservation and sustainable use of World Heritage."

terry@heraldcorp.com