Cultural Heritage Administration holds a symposium on the registration of “Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Province” with the UNESCO World Heritage List.

 

Through the symposium, the Administration aims to have a deep discussion concerning the world heritage value of the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty that was registered with the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List at the end of last year, and draw up systematic and efficient measures to inscribe them on the World Heritage List.

 

At the symposium held in the National Palace Museum of Korea on March 15^th, the Administration will brief on the registration procedures of the Joseon Royal Tombs, with Administrator You Hong June delivering a keynote speech on the managing status of the Royal Tombs. Presentations will be given by Professors Hwang Gi Won (Seoul National University) and Kim Dong Uk (Kyonggi University) and Director Kang Kyung hwan (Cultural Heritage International Affairs Division, Cultural Heritage Administration), which will be followed by panel discussion. The panel discussion will focus on the World Heritage Value of the Joseon Royal Tombs and measures to implement the registration. Individuals on the panel include the three presenters, Professors Lee Chang Hwan (Sangji Youngseo College), Kim Gi Deok (KonKuk Universtiy) and Park So Hyeon (Seoul National University) and Heo Kwon (Head of Culture Team, UNESCO Korean Commission).

 

Also attending at the symposium are officials from the regional autonomous governments where the Joseon Royal Tombs are located, and they will discuss with the panel strategies to have the Korean heritage sites on the Tentative List designated as World Heritage and measures to enhance cooperation between the Cultural Heritage Administration and regional autonomous governments.

 

There are two type of tombs of the royal family during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910): Neung is the tomb of the kings and queens and of the kings and queens posthumously designated; and Won is the tomb of crown princes and their wives, and of the royal parents. The Neungs and Wons of the Joseon Dynasty, with the exceptions of Jang-Neung in Yeongwol-gun County, Gangwon-do Province and Yeong-Neung and Nyeong-Neung in Yeoju-gun County, Gyeonggi-do Province, are all located within 40km of the capital of Hanyang (now Seoul). There are 40 Neungs and 13 Wons, for 53 royal tombs in total.

 

Unlike the royal tombs of China and Japan, which all have Confucian culture in common, those of the Joseon Dynasty reflect traditional environments and landscapes of the Korean Peninsula and Korean culture and exhibit certain characteristics such as clear spatial layout, formal arrangement and outstanding artistic beauty. In addition, the Korean Royal Tombs are well preserved and managed according to the principles in the Great Code for Ruling the Nation (Gyeonggukdaejeon) as well as the Five National Rites (Gukjooryeui). The Royal Yi Family Foundation has been performing tomb rituals, exhibiting the ideas of loyalty and filial piety, even after the fall of the Dynasty. It is considered that all of these features make the Korean Royal Tombs valuable enough to be registered with the World Heritage List.

 

Cultural Heritage Administration intends to make its best endeavors to have the Joseon Royal Tombs inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2009 by conducting systematic and efficient preparation works including academic research on the Royal Tombs based on the discussion results from the Symposium.

 

World Heritage refers to the heritage designated according to the “Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage”, which UNESCO adopted in 1972 in order to enhance international cooperation in protecting world heritage of outstanding value and each state’s protection of their own heritage. There are currently 812 World Heritage Sites in 137 State Parties.

 

The Republic of Korea has seven World Heritage Sites including Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple, Haeinsa Temple Jangyeong Panjeon, Jongmyo Shrine and Changdeokgung Palace Complex. At early this year, Korea applied for the registration of Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes as its first UNESCO World Natural Heritage and the registration decision is scheduled for between June and July next year.

 

Korea has eight heritage sites inscribed on the Tentative List for Nomination as World Heritage: Samyeon Fortress Wall, Underwater Tomb of King Muryeong, Kangjingun Kiln Sites, Mt. Soraksan Nature Reserve, Hahoe Folk Village in Andong, Yangdong Village of Wolseong, Sites of Fossilized Dinosaurs throughout the Southern Seacoast, and Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Province.