[Arts & Culture] S. Korea's ancient petroglyphs added to UNESCO World Heritage List

It's Friday, which means it's time for Arts and Culture.

We have our culture correspondent Choi Soo-hyung in the studio.

Welcome back, Soo-hyung!

Thank you for having me here, Dami!

So, what do you have for us today?

Dami, as you know, about a week ago, ancient rock carvings, known as petroglyphs, in Ulsan city, in the southern part of the country, were successfully inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

So, I dug in to discover what their true meaning and value are.

Let's take a look.

The petroglyphs line the Bangucheon Stream in Ulsan and have become South Korea's 17th entry on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

These are carvings made into rock walls beside the stream by prehistoric people who lived on the Korean Peninsula about 6-thousand years ago.

This is South Korea's first UNESCO World Heritage listing of petroglyphs, and these show the prehistoric life of the people and their possible beliefs.

"This inscription is especially meaningful as it marks the first petroglyph site in all of Asia to be recognized by UNESCO. Until now, only seven countries, including Russia, Algeria and Brazil, had petroglyphs on the World Heritage List. South Korea is the first in East Asia to achieve this."

On July 12 in Paris, the World Heritage Committee recognized the Bangucheon Petroglyphs as masterpieces of human creativity, showcasing the artistic and unique skills of ancient people living along coastal areas of the Korean Peninsula.

Especially, the committee said those featuring whales and whaling were a historically important record of "Outstanding Universal Value."

"Whale inscriptions are extremely rare worldwide. These petroglyphs uniquely show not only different whale species, but also detailed hunting methods. With little written record from prehistoric times, the Bangucheon Petroglyphs provide invaluable insight into the lives and creativity of early humans."

Following their addition to the UNESCO Tentative List in 2010, the full listing has finally come to fruition after 15 years of deliberation and review.

Notably, it is the second prehistoric heritage site in Korea to gain World Heritage status, after the dolmen in Ganghwa, in the country's western region.

Due to its location near a stream and risk of flooding, the World Heritage Committee recommended reporting progress on flood prevention measures and formally involving local communities in site management.

The Korea Heritage Service also made special efforts to ensure their preservation, contributing to the successful listing.

"To be listed as a World Heritage site, its value must be clearly identified and well preserved through strong management plans. All work needs to meet UNESCO's standards. We prepared thoroughly in these areas, which led to its successful listing."

South Korea has 13 sites on the UNESCO Tentative List, including the second phase of tidal flats, Seoul's old city walls, and Busan's wartime heritage, all currently under review.

I see. So Soo-hyung, as you mentioned earlier, what efforts were made to have the petroglyph site added to the UNESCO World Heritage list?

Yes, Dami.

Professor Lee said that government support was important, but local communities also played a key role.

Due to flood and sunlight damage risks, it took decades after their 1970s discovery to reach the Tentative List in 2010.

There were many efforts to reduce the risk of damage, including building a dam, setting up research centers, along with private-public cooperation.

"The local community played a major role in inscribing the Bangucheon petroglyphs. There was much debate over building a dam and how to preserve the site. In the end, citizen groups, local government, and community members worked together to achieve the World Heritage listing."

As the World Heritage Committee also commented, inscription is not the end, it is a shared responsibility to continue preserving this site of universal value.

Right, then, what other sites is South Korea preparing to list for UNESCO World Heritage status?

Currently, we have 13 left on the tentative list.

The Korea Heritage Service aims to inscribe the second phase of South Korea's tidal flats, expanding the already-listed UNESCO World Heritage site covering Seocheon, Gochang, Shinan, Boseong and Suncheon, in the west of the country.

By adding the tidal flats of Seosan, Muan, Goheung and Yeosu, the KHS said, submitting them to the list will better cover the habitats and migratory routes of waterbirds.

In addition, Seoul's old city walls that once encircled Hanyang, an old name for the capital predating Seoul, and Busan's wartime heritage from the Korean War, are under review.

Sounds really great, Soo-hyung. There's more good news about the next host of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, isn't there?

That's right.

On July 15, during this year's committee session, South Korea was selected as the next host country.

While other Asian countries have hosted the committee in the past, this will be South Korea's first time since Japan last hosted it in 1998.

As a result, Korea will serve as the chair of the 48th World Heritage Committee in July next year, with the host city being Busan.

Officials in Busan say the city was chosen for its proven ability to host large-scale events, with strong infrastructure, security, and accommodation.

Busan Metropolitan Government, has announced plans to showcase the value of World Heritage through unique programs only Busan can offer.

Indeed, thank you so much, Soo-hyung, for sharing your report.

My pleasure.