Goheung Mudflat Selected for UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Gong Young-min) announced on the 18th that at the World Heritage Subcommittee Cultural Heritage Committee held by the Cultural Heritage Administration on the 13th, "Goheung-gun Mudflat" was selected as a tentative list for the second phase of Korea's mudflats World Heritage registration.

This selection of Korea's mudflats for the second phase UNESCO World Heritage tentative list follows the 2021 UNESCO committee's recommendation to expand the area to strengthen the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) when Seocheon, Gochang, Sinan, and Boseong-Suncheon were registered as "Korea's Mudflats" World Heritage sites.

[Photo by Goheung-gun]

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Accordingly, Jeollanam-do and three cities and counties including Goheung prioritized the promotion of the World Heritage tentative list, which was reviewed and approved.

In particular, Goheung-gun took proactive steps for the foundation of the second phase registration by holding a residents' briefing session in March 2022 and designating 59.43㎢ of mudflats in the Yeojaman area including Donggang, Namyang-myeon, Gwaryeok, and Jeomam-myeon as a wetland protection zone in December to promote World Heritage registration.

The Goheung mudflat was confirmed during wetland surveys to have the world's highest level of biodiversity, including endemic species such as the yellow-billed egret, designated as a first-class endangered wild animal, and the white-clawed fiddler crab, designated as a marine protected species.

Furthermore, as an intermediate stopover site for endangered migratory birds with globally significant meaning for global biodiversity conservation, Goheung's mudflat is expected to play a central role in the southern coast mudflats in future registration efforts, representing outstanding value.

Gong Young-min, Governor of Goheung-gun, said, "We will work closely with local governments in Jeollanam-do, including Goheung, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Cultural Heritage Administration, and the World Heritage Promotion Team to ensure that the second phase is also registered as a World Heritage site," adding, "Voluntary interest and efforts from the residents are necessary to protect and conserve Goheung's pristine mudflats."

Goheung = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Shim Jeong-woo hss79@asiae.co.kr

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