Korea welcomes international creators to share its UNESCO heritage sites with world
Elementary school students in Seoul dressed in Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) attire tour Museong Seowon in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, Jan. 12, 2010. The Joseon-era Confucian academy was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019 in recognition of its cultural significance. Yonhap
Korea wants to share its cultural treasures with the world through a new initiative that invites foreign content creators residing in the country to explore and promote the nation’s UNESCO-listed heritage.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Friday that it will host the 2025 UNESCO heritage and attractions tour program from June to November to highlight the universal value of Korea’s cultural assets.
The program, “Unlock Korea’s Treasures,” will help foreign creators produce their own content as they visit key heritage sites across the country. Over five tours, participants will delve into both tangible and intangible heritage.
“Even foreigners who have lived in Korea for a long time rarely get the chance to deeply explore its history and culture,” a culture ministry official said. “We hope this program will allow them to experience Korea’s invaluable heritage firsthand and serve as cultural ambassadors to the world.”
Korea currently boasts 16 UNESCO World Heritage sites, with another 23 items on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list and 20 inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World register.
The upcoming tours will showcase this rich legacy, beginning in June with visits to Museong Seowon (Confucian academy) in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, where participants will learn about Korean neo-Confucianism, and the Donghak Peasant Revolution Memorial Hall, commemorating the spirit of the people’s resistance.
Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan, originally settled by refugees during the 1950-1953 Korean War, which was transformed into a vibrant tourist attraction after students, artists and residents decorated the area as part of the Village Art Project in 2009. Courtesy of Busan Tourism Organization
In Busan, creators will explore historic locations tied to the 1950-1953 Korean War and capture the vibrant scenes of Gamcheon Culture Village. Although not a UNESCO heritage site, the village was endorsed by the UNESCO's Korean chapter as a sustainable development education site.
September’s itinerary includes the cities of Gwangju and Suwon in Gyeonggi Province, where participants will tour Namhansanseong and Suwon Hwaseong, two of Korea's most famous mountain fortresses, uncovering the stories behind these historical landmarks. In October, the focus shifts to Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, where the group will study Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s life and Korea’s naval history through the UNESCO-listed “Nanjung Ilgi,” the admiral's war diary, while also experiencing the city’s famed night sea and tidal flats.
The final tour in November takes place in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, where creators will join a kimchi-making event, which is listed as a UNESCO-recognized tradition.
All tour activities and experiences will be documented and shared through videos on the Korea.net YouTube channel, with special features planned to further promote Korea’s UNESCO heritage worldwide.