By Yoo Na-hyunPosted : July 25, 2026, 12:26Updated : July 25, 2026, 13:32
A foreign visitor takes part in an interactive program at the Korea Pavilion, the official host country exhibition held alongside the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at BEXCO in Busan on July 24, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - The Republic of Korea Pavilion, the official host country exhibition for the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, is introducing Korea's cultural heritage to visitors from around the world at BEXCO in Busan.
A royal-themed "Walk of the Royal Family" program takes place at the Korea Pavilion, the official host country exhibition held alongside the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at BEXCO in Busan on July 24, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Visitors explore the Korea Pavilion, the official host country exhibition held alongside the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at BEXCO in Busan on July 24, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
South Korea is hosting the committee for the first time since joining the World Heritage Convention in 1988. The 11-day session opened on July 19 and runs through July 29, bringing together delegates and heritage experts to decide which sites join the World Heritage List and how existing ones are conserved and managed.
Visitors participate in a traditional paper flower-making program at the Jingwansa Temple booth at the Korea Pavilion, the official host country exhibition held alongside the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at BEXCO in Busan on July 24, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Visitors explore the Korea Pavilion, the official host country exhibition held alongside the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at BEXCO in Busan on July 24, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
The committee is reviewing 30 new nominations and three proposals to expand or modify existing listings, and assessing the conservation status of 147 properties already on the list. For the host country, the biggest items on the agenda are the expansion of Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats, which added the tidal flats of Yeosu, Goheung, Muan and Seosan on Saturday, and follow-up measures on Japan's Sado mine complex, where Koreans were forced to work during Japan's colonial rule.
A child watches the traditional woodblock printing process at the Korea Pavilion, the official host country exhibition held alongside the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at BEXCO in Busan on July 24, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Visitors explore the Korea Pavilion, the official host country exhibition held alongside the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at BEXCO in Busan on July 24, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Inside the pavilion, 35 organizations, including government agencies, local governments, religious orders and foundations, present Korea's World Heritage, Intangible Cultural Heritage and Memory of the World inscriptions alongside national heritage policy and international cooperation programs. Delegates and visitors moved through the halls, listening to guides, posing for photographs, and trying hands-on programs, with displays pairing traditional heritage and digital technology that drew some of the largest crowds.
Visitors pose for commemorative photos at the Korea Pavilion, the official host country exhibition held alongside the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at BEXCO in Busan on July 24, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Visitors take part in a Yeongsanjae experience at the Korea Pavilion, the official host country exhibition held alongside the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at BEXCO in Busan on July 24, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
The pavilion is open through July 29, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in Halls 2B, 3A and 3B of BEXCO's Exhibition Hall 1. Admission is free for committee participants and the general public alike.
The 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is held at BEXCO in Busan on July 24, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun