Cooperation for Preservation of Jongmyo and Saint-Denis Basilica... Korea-France Heritage MOU

Agreement Between Royal Tombs and Heritage Headquarters and French National Monuments Center

MoU Signing Ceremony between the Cultural Heritage Administration and the French National Monuments Center. From left to right: Marie Lavandier, Director of the French National Monuments Center; Catherine Pégard, French Minister of Culture; Heo Min, Administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration; Ahn Ho, Acting Head of the Headquarters of Palaces and Royal Tombs.

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 6th that the Royal Tombs and Heritage Headquarters and the French National Monuments Center, under the French Ministry of Culture, signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of heritage on April 2 at the Fairmont Ambassador Hotel.

This agreement was promoted as one of the outcomes of the Korea-France summit. The main focus is cooperation for the systematic preservation and management of Jongmyo and the Basilica of Saint-Denis, the royal necropolis of France. Both heritage sites share historical and cultural characteristics, including royal rituals and burial grounds. An official from the Cultural Heritage Administration explained, "A letter of intent for cultural heritage exchange was first signed in December 2022," adding, "This memorandum of understanding is a follow-up measure to that agreement."

At the high-level meeting held alongside the signing ceremony, Min Heo, Commissioner of the Cultural Heritage Administration, and Catherine Pégard, French Minister of Culture, agreed to expand cooperation in the heritage sector, including on-site visits linking the representative cultural heritage of both countries, expert exchanges, and mutual promotion. They also discussed events commemorating the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, scheduled for June 2026.

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