4 additional tidal flats move closer to UNESCO World Heritage status

A tidal flat in Muan, South Jeolla Province / Korea Times photo by Choi Heung-soo

Four tidal flats in southern Korea have received a recommendation for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List from an international advisory body, the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) said Friday, in a positive development for the Korean government ahead of the World Heritage Committee's session in Busan in July.

Korea's tidal flats, also known as "getbol," were first inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2021. Since then, the government has sought to expand the site by adding four additional tidal flats — in Yeosu, Goheung and Muan in South Jeolla Province, and Seosan in South Chungcheong Province — to the existing World Heritage tidal flats in Gochang in North Jeolla Province, Seocheon in South Chungcheong Province, and Boseong and Suncheon in South Jeolla Province.

According to the KHS, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) concluded that Korean Tidal Flats Phase II satisfies the World Heritage criterion for biodiversity conservation and the protection of threatened species, and recommended the World Heritage Committee approve a major boundary modification to the existing World Heritage site.

The recommendation is considered one of the final steps before a formal decision is made at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Busan. The IUCN serves as the advisory body on natural heritage to the committee and is responsible for evaluating nominations of natural World Heritage sites.

In recommending approval, the IUCN also called for continued efforts to assess additional tidal flat areas and to build support among local communities for future nominations, according to the KHS.

Among the largest tidal flat systems in the world, Korea's tidal flats provide habitat for nearly 2,000 species, including a number of endangered migratory birds.

The IUCN further emphasized the importance of ensuring the sustainable continuation of traditional fishing practices and customary methods of harvesting tidal flat resources. It also recommended strengthening international cooperation with relevant countries to conserve critical habitats within the West Sea ecosystem and along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, a major migratory route for waterbirds.

Korea is home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, including two natural heritage sites — the Getbol Korean Tidal Flats and Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.