Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Korea, UNESCO partner ahead of World Heritage Committee session in Busan
Participants attend an information meeting for the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, June 8. Courtesy of Korea Heritage Service
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea's heritage authority and UNESCO signed a memorandum of understanding Friday in Paris ahead of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, set to open in Busan next month, in what will be the first time Korea has hosted the annual gathering.
The memorandum of understanding was signed at UNESCO headquarters by Min Huh, administrator of the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), and Nayef H. Al-Fayez, UNESCO's assistant director-general for culture, along with Kim Ji-hee, Korea's ambassador to UNESCO, and Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
The agreement covers operational arrangements for the session, including security, health and personal data protection protocols, particularly given the scale of the event, which is expected to draw roughly 3,000 delegates from the 196 states party to the World Heritage Convention.
The 48th session is scheduled for July 19 to 29 at BEXCO, the convention center in the southeastern port city of Busan. The committee — the main governing body under the 1972 World Heritage Convention — meets annually to inscribe new sites on the World Heritage List and review the conservation status of existing ones. It will examine 30 nominations for inscription at this year's session.
"We will work closely with UNESCO so that the 48th session, the first ever held in Korea, becomes a festival where visitors from around the world can enjoy the appeal of Korean heritage and culture," Huh said.
Al-Fayez expressed gratitude to Korea for hosting the session and pledged full cooperation for its success, according to KHS.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.