ICHCAP

In celebration of the launch of the Korea Heritage Service on May 17, the Cultural Heritage Administration (Director Choi Eungchon) held an event on May 16 under the theme of “K-Heritage System: Significance, Effect, and Future” at the Westin Chosun Seoul (Jung-gu, Seoul) to publicize the changes and significance of Korea's evolving national heritage system to the world. This international event invited prominent overseas national heritage experts, officials from international organizations, and leading figures from domestic and foreign academia to discuss the national heritage system (K-Heritage System) from the perspectives of culture, nature, and intangible heritage. It provided an opportunity to share stories and collectively contemplate the future.

The presentation sessions were divided into four fields: culture, nature, intangible, and digital. Two presenters from each field, representing international organizations and academia, gave presentations on a total of eight topics, examined the K-Heritage System from their respective perspectives, and suggested directions for future progress.

The main speakers included Susan McIntyre Tamwoy, Vice President of ICOMOS; Professor Rodney Harrison, University College London (UCL); Tim Badman, Director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Erik Champion, former UNESCO Chair of Cultural Heritage and Visualisation.

This academic symposium demonstrated that the Korea Heritage Service has moved beyond the current term ‘cultural property’ and established a 'K-Heritage System' that enables comprehensive protection and management of heritage encompassing 'cultural heritage,' 'natural heritage,' and 'intangible heritage.' It served as a platform to spread awareness about this new integrated approach.