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Korea`s Baekje historic sites join UNESCO World Heritage listing

Korea`s Baekje historic sites join UNESCO World Heritage listing

Posted July. 06, 2015 07:13,   

한국어

Eight historic sites of South Korea`s ancient kingdom of Baekje have been collectively registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. With the listing of the sites, the heritages of all three ancient kingdoms of Korea – Shilla, Goguryeo and Baekje – have been recognized for their value in the human history. Towns in former Baekje areas that are now in South Chungcheong and North Jeolla Provinces have put up banners welcoming the listing, which followed last year`s registration of Namhansanseong Fortress. South Korea has 12 World Heritage sites.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cultural Heritage Administration said Sunday that the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany decided to list the Baekje historic sites as a World Cultural Heritage site.

"Together, these sites represent the later period of the Baekje Kingdom -- one of the three earliest kingdoms of the Korean peninsula -- during which time they were at the crossroads of considerable technological, religious (Buddhism), cultural and artistic exchanges between the ancient East Asian kingdoms in Korea, China and Japan," the UNESCO committee said in a press statement.

The Baekje historic areas are a collection of eight sites built mostly in the later period of the kingdom, including royal palaces and fortresses, tombs, temple sites and other archaeological sites scattered South Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces. Sites from Baekje`s earlier period were not included in the UNESCO listing.

The Royal tomb of King Muryeong, which is included in the Songsan-ri tombs, clearly shows the history of Northeast Asia`s cultural exchanges that the UNESCO World Heritage Committee mentioned. The bricks with lotus motifs in the tomb show the style of bolt-type brick tombs in the Yang Dynasty of China. The silver cup with a bronze stand excavated from the tomb was the model for the bronze cup with a stand discovered at Kannonzuka Kofun in Japan`s Gunman Prefecture.

The UNESCO committee viewed that while the Baekje sites showed the history of exchanges among China, Korea and Japan, they also had Baekje`s unique cultural value at the same time. Noh Choong-kook, a professor of history at Keimyung University and chairman of South Korea`s committee for the listing of the Baekje sites as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, said, "I am filled with emotion because Baekje`s cultural heritages, which were less highlighted than those of Shilla, have been recognized as a World Cultural Heritage."

Banners were put up at every corner of Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province, welcoming the listing that came five days before the opening of a local festival commemorating the legend of a Baekje princess. "The Baekje historical sites are the result of the peace, exchanges and prosperity among Korea, China and Japan and in Northeast Asia in ancient times," said Ahn Hee-jung, governor of South Chungcheong Province who flew to the venue of the UNESCO committee meeting. Song ha-jin, governor of North Jeolla Province, who also visited Germany, vowed to carry out projects to shed new light on Baekje`s culture and history. A Buyeo resident expressed hope that the listing would reinvigorate tourism in the region and the local economy.

On the other hand, there are concerns over possible restriction in the exercise of private property rights. "Residents living close to Baekje historic sites had to endure a lot of pain due to limits to their property rights," said Lee Kee-hoon, head of Buyeo`s tourism promotion association. "I hope that the government will meet our expectations of a revival of the local economy with active investment and support."



sukim@donga.com