Skip Navigation

World Heritage

Korean heritage items may be inscribed on the UNESCO list or register under a different name from the one being used in the national designation system.
Tentative List
Sites of fossilized dinosaurs throughout the Southern seacoast (2002)

Sites of fossilized dinosaurs throughout the Southern seacoast (2002)Sites of fossilized dinosaurs throughout the Southern seacoast of Korea are the largest grounds of various fossilized eggs and footprints of dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era in the world. These sites are characterized by the fact that the fossilized dinosaurs eggs are widely distributed in a perfectly well preserved conditions; the footprints of the archaeopteryxes are the biggest in the world, and the two webbed feet birds' footprints are the oldest of its kind in the world. These sites are situated in beautiful natural surroundings with petrified wood, many tracks of extinct lives, various geographic layers, and the particular river drifts.

The fossil site in Haenam-gun is famous for the extra-large fossilized footprints of dinosaurs, the footprints of the two webbed feet birds, the oldest birds in the world, and the archaeopteryxes' footprints, which were discovered for the first time in Asia.

The fossil site in Boseong-gun is famous for the fossilized eggs of dinosaurs and the nest of perfectly preserved dinosaur's eggs, which are within the world scale (diameter 1.5m). The fossil site in Hwasun-gun is famous for the footprints of carnivorous dinosaurs in 20 very long trails (longest 52m) and over 1,000 footprints.

Also, the fossil site in the city of Yeosu is distributed widely in the accumulated layer of the Cretaceous period in 5 islands, including Sado, Chudo, Nangdo, Jeokgeumdo and Mokgeumdo. Not only is it famous for its quantity of fossils, but it also has the world famous trails of footprints ranging over 84m, the longest dinosaur footprints in the world. The fossil site in Goseong-gun is famous for the quantity and variety of fossils, since more than 4,000 dinosaur footprints and about 420 walking trails were discovered.