The UNESCO World Heritage Committee inaugurated its 48th annual session in Busan, South Korea on Sunday, 20 July 2025, marking the first time the country has hosted the gathering since joining the UNESCO World Heritage Convention in 1988. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung attended the opening ceremony at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center, a port city located approximately 330 kilometres southeast of Seoul.

Scale and Participation

Around 3,000 participants from 196 member states, international organisations, and non-governmental entities are expected to attend the 10-day meeting, according to organisers. Key figures at the opening ceremony included UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, Assistant Director-General for Culture Nayef Al-Fayez, and Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of the World Heritage Center.

What the Leaders Said

In his address, President Lee emphasised that world heritage is not merely a relic of the past but a unifying symbol for humanity. 'The world can foster mutual respect for each other's history and strengthen trust and solidarity within the global community in the process of jointly preserving and remembering world heritage,' he said. He added that South Korea would work with the international community to 'build a more peaceful and prosperous future together with UNESCO.'

El-Enany noted that South Korea has inscribed 17 sites on the World Heritage List, saying they reflect 'the diversity of Korean history.' He said the committee would spend the next 10 days working to 'revitalize the world through the living power of culture.'

K-pop star G-Dragon, serving as an honorary ambassador for the session, addressed delegates on the role of art in safeguarding heritage. 'Protecting heritage is not only about preserving the past but about building peace for the future,' he said. 'I believe art can also play a powerful role in inspiring collective action and changing the world.'

Cultural Showcase at the Opening

The opening ceremony featured performances tracing the arc of Korean culture. These included a reenactment of a traditional gate-opening ceremony by royal guards of Gyeongbok Palace — the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) — followed by modern reinterpretations of classical dances: ilmu, a Confucian ritual court dance; taepyeongmu, a royal dance wishing for peace and prosperity; and ganggangsullae, a seasonal circle dance performed by women under the full moon.

Key Agenda Items: 33 Proposals and the Sado Mine Question

The session, chaired by Lee Byong-hyun, a former South Korean ambassador to UNESCO, will review 33 proposals — 30 new nominations and three requests to extend or modify existing listings — in plenary sessions scheduled from 20 to 29 July.

Among these is a proposed extension of South Korea's 'Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats' site, which would add four coastal wetlands to the property first inscribed in 2021. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the committee's advisory body on natural heritage, has recommended approval of the extension.

A contentious draft decision concerns Japan's Sado mine World Heritage site, inscribed in 2024. The draft recommends that Japan take further steps to adequately reflect the mine's 'whole history' regarding the wartime mobilisation of Korean labourers. More than 1,500 Koreans were reportedly mobilised to work at the mine during Japan's 1910–45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. According to the draft decision, Tokyo's related efforts remain insufficient, despite Japan's earlier promise to thoroughly convey the history of forced conscription in line with UNESCO's recommendations. The draft is likely to be adopted during the session unless member states object, though its limited enforceability leaves compliance uncertain.

A Potential 'Busan Declaration' and the Sixth C

Also under discussion is a proposed 'Busan declaration' that would introduce 'collaboration' as a sixth strategic objective alongside the committee's existing five 'C' priorities — credibility, conservation, capacity-building, communication, and communities. The addition reflects growing calls within UNESCO to strengthen international cooperation in tackling increasingly complex threats to heritage sites, including climate change, according to Seoul officials. If adopted, it would represent a structural shift in how the convention frames its global mandate going forward.