The Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea and the Ministry of Information and Culture of Laos concluded an MOU on cultural heritage. The arrangement signed in Vientiane, Laos, on March 30, is aimed to share knowledge and experience in the field of preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, as well as to strengthen cooperation in establishing and implementing policies for sustainable conservation of cultural heritage. The MOU is a follow-up action to a meeting earlier in October 2010, when Minister Choung Byoung-gug of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, then a member of the National Assembly, visited Laos and discussed issues regarding bilateral exchange and cooperation between Korea and Laos. Based on the arrangement, the two parties is expected to cooperate in setting up sustainable systems for the protection of cultural heritage, by sharing each other’s experience in establishing and managing systems and policies as well as by conducting joint research. According to the MOU, CHA will provide financial and technical support for the protection of cultural heritage in Laos. In particular, it will pass on its experience and skills for handling stone structure and provide finances if necessary, especially for the protection of “Vat Phou and associated ancient settlements within the Champasak cultural landscape,” a Lao World Heritage site inscribed in 2001. As part of an effort to protect abundant intangible heritage of Laos and transmit them to future generations, CHA will support the Southeast Asian country to establish a system for intangible heritage for next three years. In addition, human resources ranging from college students to government officials will be invited to Korea to acquire expertise in cultural heritage necessary to upgrade their capacity in heritage protection. In particular, Lao college students will be trained at the Korean National University of Cultural Heritage for over one year according to a program planned to nurture professionals in the field of cultural heritage management. The two parties decided to launch the projects for world heritage and the establishment of an intangible heritage protection system this year. The training program for Lao college students will begin next year.