Possibility of Japan's Sado Mine Failing to be Inscribed as World Heritage... Korea Elected as Member of UNESCO World Heritage Committee

Fourth Entry... Active Until 2027
Path Opened to Counter Japan's Sado Mine and Others

South Korea has been elected as a member country of the World Heritage Committee, which reviews and decides on the inscription of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 22nd (local time), UNESCO held the General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention and elected new members of the World Heritage Committee. South Korea secured one of the vacant seats in the Asia-Pacific group. Accordingly, it will serve as a member country of the World Heritage Committee from this year until 2027. This is the fourth time South Korea has joined the World Heritage Committee. Previously, it served as a member country three times: from 1997 to 2003, 2005 to 2009, and 2013 to 2017.

The World Heritage Committee is the highest decision-making body related to World Heritage, responsible for tasks such as inscription, deletion, and monitoring the conservation status of heritage sites. It reviews the World Heritage lists submitted by each country. Considering various criteria such as historical, cultural, and natural significance, it selects cultural heritage, natural heritage, and mixed heritage sites. If already inscribed heritage sites face threats of damage due to war, earthquakes, natural disasters, pollution, or indiscriminate development, the committee also takes urgent measures for their protection.

The organization consists of twenty-one countries out of the 195 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, with seats allocated by region. Although the official term for committee members is six years, it is customary to serve only four years voluntarily. There is also a convention to refrain from immediate re-election to ensure participation from diverse countries.

South Korea’s acquisition of membership in the World Heritage Committee this time holds great significance. This is because the decision on whether to inscribe the Sado (佐渡) Mine in Japan, a site of forced labor of Koreans during the Japanese colonial period, will be made next year. The management status of the Meiji (明治) Industrial Revolution Heritage, including the Hashima (Gunkanjima) coal mine inscribed in 2015, is also subject to review. Japan pledged at the time of inscription to disclose the 'entire history,' including the forced labor of Koreans, but has been criticized for not properly adhering to this. By joining the World Heritage Committee, South Korea now has a way to check Japan during the review process and actively express its position.

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