South Korea's 40 ancient royal tombs are now designated as World Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO), to become the nation's ninth such site, Yonhap said Saturday citing government officials.
The collection of tombs, all belonging to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), was given the designation during a meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Seville, Spain, on Friday, it said.
"The royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty honored the memory of ancestors, showed respect for their achievements, asserted royal authority, protected ancestral spirits from evil and provided protection from vandalism," UNESCO said on its Web site.
The Joseon royal tombs, all scattered around the nation's capital, were created for 27 generations of kings, queens, crown princes and including those overthrown or posthumously recognized as kings during the dynasty.
The tombs built from 1408 to 1966 using Confucianism principles and geomancy are known for their unique construction method and landscape architecture.
The nation's World Cultural Heritage sites also include the Jongmyo royal ancestral shrine, Changdeok Palace, Gyeongju Historic Area, the Tripitaka Koreana at Haeinsa Temple, Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon and the dolmen sites in Gochang.
In 2004, UNESCO also designated North Korea's Goguryeo Dynasty tombs.
The Korean Peninsula is now home to a total of 10 World Heritage sites.