'Petroglyphs of Bangucheon' Pass First Stage of World Heritage Registration

Registration application passes format requirements
Document review, on-site inspection, and comprehensive discussion scheduled
World Heritage Committee to decide registration in July next year

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 5th that the application for the inscription of 'Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream,' submitted last January, has passed the completeness check by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

The completeness check is a process that examines whether the nomination dossier meets the formal requirements. Once passed, the full World Heritage inscription evaluation process proceeds.

The nomination dossier for 'Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream' will undergo document review by advisory bodies, on-site inspections, and comprehensive discussions by the first half of next year, according to Paragraph 140 of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. The final decision on inscription will be made at the 47th World Heritage Committee meeting scheduled for July next year.

The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "We will cooperate with local governments and relevant ministries to do our best throughout the evaluation process for World Heritage inscription."

Selected as a nomination target in July last year, the 'Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream' is a single heritage site that includes the national treasures 'Ulju Cheonjeon-ri Petroglyphs' and 'Ulju Daegok-ri Bangudae Petroglyphs.' It encapsulates the aesthetic expressions and cultural changes of people living along the southeastern coast of the Korean Peninsula from the Neolithic to the Silla period.

In particular, the paintings creatively depicting whales and the main stages of whaling are regarded as masterpieces. The Cultural Heritage Administration explained, "The diverse images and inscriptions spanning approximately 6,000 years provide unique evidence confirming the rock engraving traditions of their respective eras."

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