Gyeongbuk Province to Pursue UNESCO World Heritage Listing for 'Joseon Dynasty Royal Placenta Mounds'... Identification of Taesju for 54 Placenta Mounds Confirmed

Gyeonggi, Chungnam and Related Local Governments Hold First Meeting to Explore Registration Measures

Sejong the Great's Royal Placenta Chamber (Historic Site) in Seongju, Gyeongbuk.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gui-yeol] Three metropolitan local governments, including Gyeongsangbuk-do, have launched efforts to promote the UNESCO World Heritage listing of the Joseon Dynasty Taeil relics to raise global awareness.

On the 26th, Gyeongbuk Province held a meeting for the UNESCO World Heritage listing of the ‘Joseon Dynasty Taeil’ at the Suwon Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation conference room, with officials from Gyeonggi and Chungnam provinces in attendance.

This meeting was the first gathering of officials from the three provinces, which possess representative Taeil relics in Korea, to explore joint listing promotion plans and discuss future directions and schedules.

The royal family’s Taeil culture is a unique cultural heritage exclusive to Korea, not found in the West or neighboring countries such as China and Japan.

It is highly regarded for its potential as a World Heritage site because it embodies the universal human value of respect for life.

The oldest Taeil relic in Korea is that of Silla’s Kim Yu-shin, and the royal Taeil creation system was established during the Goryeo period and settled in the Joseon era.

The Joseon Dynasty Taeil adds significance as a series of heritage sites that collectively showcase the royal culture of the Joseon Dynasty, alongside the already World Heritage-listed Jongmyo Shrine (1995), Changdeokgung Palace (1997), and Joseon Royal Tombs (2009).

Recognizing the heritage value of Taeil relics early on, Gyeongbuk Province conducted a survey in 2017 and confirmed that a significant number are distributed throughout the region.

Along with cultural properties such as the Seongju King Sejong’s Taeil (Historic Site), Yeongcheon King Injong’s Taeil (Tangible Cultural Property), and Yecheon King Munjong’s Taeil Monument (Tangible Cultural Property), they identified the Taeju (containers for the royal placenta) for 54 Taeil sites.

Injong Taesil (Tangible Cultural Property) located in Yeongcheon.

Starting with this meeting, the province plans to steadily explore building networks among local governments, forming related consultative bodies, and defining the scope of the listing through continuous gatherings, while also strengthening cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Administration.

Kim Sang-cheol, Director of the Culture, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Gyeongbuk Province, said, “Gyeongbuk holds 5 out of Korea’s 15 World Heritage sites, and it is rich in future heritage based on Silla and Confucian culture, including the Gaya Tumuli.” He added, “We plan to establish a future-oriented management system linked with advanced ICT projects such as the metaverse for the discovery of new heritage and the preservation and utilization of listed heritage.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.