Korea's Representative Fortress Heritage, a Step Closer to 'World Heritage Listing'

Hanyangdoseong - Bukhansanseong - Tangchundaeseong Selected for World Heritage 'Tentative List'
Proving the Universal Value of Fortress Clusters for 18th Century (King Sukjong Era) Hanyang Defense

Doseongyeon Yungbukhan Hapdo [Goyang-si]

[Asia Economy Reporter La Young-cheol] Goyang City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 15th that the fortress complexes completed in the 18th century to defend Hanyang, the capital of the Joseon Dynasty, including Hanyangdoseong, Bukhansanseong, and Tangchundaeseong, have been listed on the "Tentative List for World Heritage."

According to the city, the Joseon capital's fortress and defensive mountain fortresses consist of ▲ Hanyangdoseong (Historic Site), which surrounds the capital ▲ Bukhansanseong (Historic Site), built as a refuge for the king and people in times of emergency ▲ and Tangchundaeseong (Seoul City Tangible Cultural Property No. 33), which connects the two.

The tentative list means that requirements such as the application promotion system, research team composition, research results meeting the registration criteria, and preservation management plans have been fulfilled.

Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, Seoul City, and the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation have each been pursuing the World Heritage registration of Bukhansanseong and Hanyangdoseong. However, following the Cultural Heritage Administration's recommendation for joint promotion, since 2021, they have been working to recognize the outstanding universal value by grouping Hanyangdoseong, Bukhansanseong, and Tangchundaeseong as a single heritage.

Hanyangdoseong in Seoul, which was included in the tentative list in 2012, was recommended as "not eligible for registration" by the advisory body in 2017, leading to the decision to withdraw the registration.

Goyang City attempted to list Bukhansanseong on the tentative list in 2018, but the Cultural Heritage Committee rejected it and recommended reviewing it as a serial heritage with Hanyangdoseong.

Accordingly, Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, and the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation, responsible for researching and managing Bukhansanseong, and Seoul City, responsible for managing Hanyangdoseong and Tangchundaeseong, have continued cooperation through a working-level council since 2021 to promote World Heritage registration.

Bukhansanseong Daenammun Gate and Fortress Wall [Goyang City]

In particular, since September this year, a TF team for integrated registration has been operating, and efforts have been made to promote the universal value of the heritage through international academic symposiums.

'Hanyangdoseong-Bukhansanseong-Tangchundaeseong' received high praise as a symbolic example showing how the types of capital defense facilities and construction techniques developed on the Korean Peninsula from ancient times to the 18th century.

During the reign of King Sukjong (1674?1720), Joseon bore the scars of the Imjin War and the Byeongja Horan (Second Manchu invasion).

To restore the collapsed socio-economic foundation, Sukjong implemented policies to alleviate people's hardships, including nationwide enforcement of the Daedong law, issuance and circulation of the currency Sangpyeong Tongbo, and reform of the tax system.

In 1704, the ruined Hanyangdoseong was repaired, and Bukhansanseong (1711) and Tangchundaeseong (1715) were newly constructed to prepare against external threats and to maintain capital defense facilities, leading the mid-late Joseon revival era.

The dual defense system of the capital fortress and mountain fortresses inherited from ancient times was adapted to the 18th-century capital defense strategy, connected by blocking walls, and integrated into a unified defense facility, demonstrating the creative development of early 18th-century capital fortress types.

The application of standardized small stone masonry techniques and the well-preserved records related to the construction and repair of fortress walls, including details of each fortress stone, are evaluated as important values that distinguish it from other fortress heritages.

Bukhan Mountain Fortress Haenggung Site Outer Pavilion Site [Goyang City]

Before submitting the World Heritage registration application to UNESCO, domestic procedures such as selecting the candidate for registration and the registration target must be completed.

Once the final registration target is selected, the application is submitted to UNESCO, followed by about a year of evaluations including on-site inspections by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), UNESCO's advisory body, and the final decision on registration is made at the World Heritage Committee's regular session.

Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, Seoul City, and the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation aim for World Heritage registration by conducting academic research on the "Joseon capital fortress and defensive mountain fortresses" and in-depth comparative studies with similar domestic and international heritages. They also plan to establish an integrated management system for systematic preservation.

Goyang City plans to sign a business agreement with Gyeonggi Province and Seoul City in the first half of next year for the "UNESCO World Heritage joint registration of Hanyangdoseong-Bukhansanseong-Tangchundaeseong."

Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang City said, "Goyang City has the Joseon royal tombs, Seoorung and Seosamneung, which are World Heritage sites," adding, "If Bukhansanseong is finally registered as a World Heritage site along with Seoul's Hanyangdoseong and Tangchundaeseong, it is expected to greatly contribute to enhancing Goyang City's urban brand."

He added, "We will continue to promote the value and justification to ensure the Cultural Heritage Administration's final selection."

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