Inside K-Heritage House, where centuries of heritage meet digital storytelling

BUSAN — K-Heritage House, the official exhibition space of the host nation for the 48th session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, opened Monday at Bexco in Busan, bringing together the country's World Heritage sites, living traditions and cutting-edge digital technology in a sprawling exhibition the size of roughly two soccer fields. A few steps inside, visitors can move from prehistoric rock carvings to royal rituals, then on to traditional music and demonstrations by master artisans. Child

2026-07-21 14:06:20:00

Busan Declaration calls for global collaboration to protect World Heritage

BUSAN — As wars, climate change and rapid development increasingly threaten some of the world's most treasured cultural and natural sites, delegates at UNESCO's World Heritage Committee on Monday adopted a declaration calling for a new era of international cooperation to safeguard them. The Busan Declaration on World Heritage, adopted by consensus on the opening day of the committee's 48th session, said that collaboration should become a guiding principle of the World Heritage Convention as coun

2026-07-20 16:54:41:00

UNESCO World Heritage Committee opens in Busan, a first for Korea

South Korea on Sunday opened the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, hosting the annual gathering for the first time since joining the World Heritage Convention in 1988. About 3,000 delegates from the convention's 196 states, international organizations and nongovernmental groups were expected to attend the 10-day meeting at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center. It is the world's largest international meeting on World Heritage inscription, conservation and managem

2026-07-19 14:21:48:00

The future of world heritage, from Busan

BUSAN — For the first time since joining the World Heritage Convention in 1988, South Korea will host the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, bringing one of the world's largest gatherings on cultural and natural heritage to Busan. More than 3,000 delegates from the convention's 196 states are expected to attend the 48th session, which runs from Monday to July 29, following an opening ceremony Sunday. Lee Byong-hyun, former South Korean ambassador to UNESCO, will chair the meeting. The committee, U

2026-07-17 09:00:00:00

Young voices seek a place in the future of world heritage

Heritage needs "mediators" as much as it needs conservators. And young people can translate cultural heritage into the language of their own generation, making centuries-old sites and traditions relevant to people today, said Lee Jae-hoon, one of 32 participants selected for this year's World Heritage Young Professionals Forum. "Young people live in both the present and the future," said Lee, 27. "We're the generation that must decide how we understand cultural heritage today, how we preserve an

2026-07-15 11:29:13:00

Young heritage professionals gather in Seoul ahead of UNESCO World Heritage Committee

The 2026 World Heritage Young Professionals Forum, an official preliminary event of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, kicked off in Seoul on Monday, bringing together experts from around the world to discuss the future of World Heritage conservation. Thirty-two young professionals selected from 30 countries will spend nine days, through July 21, visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites in Seoul, Suwon, Gyeongju and Busan while exploring ways to strengthen the protection and su

2026-07-14 17:53:39:00

Cooling off along Seoul's waterways

Seoul recorded its first tropical night of the year after the overnight low remained at 25.2 C, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The city issued its first tropical night advisory at 5 p.m. Sunday, with more tropical nights expected due to high humidity. The first tropical night came 12 days later than last year. The advisory has been expanded to Seoul and most other regions, where nighttime temperatures are expected to remain above 25 C. Heat wave conditions are forecast to

2026-07-12 22:39:55:00

Summer heat sends 200,000 to Gangwon beaches for weekend dip

Nearly 200,000 people flocked to beaches along Gangwon Province's east coast over the weekend as most of the region's beaches opened for the summer season. According to the provincial government, a total of 95,064 people visited 84 beaches across Gangwon on Saturday. By city and county, Gangneung recorded the highest number of visitors at 41,535, followed by Sokcho with 16,428, Donghae with 11,996, Yangyang with 9,745, Goseong with 8,055 and Samcheok with 7,305. Including the 105,481 visitors re

2026-07-12 21:40:51:00

Global IP productions fuel record growth in Korea's theater market

Theater ticket sales in Korea surpassed 70 billion won in the first half of the year for the first time, driven by the success of big-budget productions based on global intellectual property. According to the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System, theater ticket sales reached 75.89 billion won from January to June, up 105 percent from 37.01 billion won during the same period last year. It marks the highest first-half total since KOPIS began tracking data in 2014. The first-half fig

2026-07-12 21:08:49:00

New slice-of-life novel finds comfort in food and human connection

A new Korean novel explores the quiet comforts of food and human connection through 15 interwoven stories drawn from ordinary life. Set against the backdrop of everyday routines — exhausting commutes home, the pressures of prolonged exam preparation and unexpected crises at work — Lee Su-min's debut novel "When You Start With Something Delicious" (literal translation) follows seemingly ordinary people navigating moments of uncertainty and change. While fatigue and emotional numbness have become

2026-07-12 20:45:36:00