InterviewInt'l collaboration key to preserving cultural heritage: KHS chief

Huh Min, administrator of the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), poses in front of ink rubbings of the Bangucheon Stream petroglyphs, a UNESCO World Heritage site, at KHS headquarters in Daejeon, June 29. Courtesy of KHS

DAEJEON — Preserving cultural heritage is not the task of a single country but one that requires international collaboration, as the destruction of cultural assets stems from events such as wars and climate change, which affect the entire world, Huh Min, administrator of the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), said.

As Korea prepares to chair and host the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session in Busan later this month, Huh believes the event is an opportunity to position Korea as a "global agenda setter" by leading collaboration initiatives.

"At this meeting, the core philosophy we want to emphasize is 'peace' and 'collaboration' through world heritage. As the host and chair country, we are aiming to present this very vision through the 'Busan Declaration,'" he said during an interview with The Korea Times at KHS headquarters in Daejeon on June 29. It is the first time for Korea to host the annual session since it joined the World Heritage Convention in 1988.

The committee has established strategic objectives to guide the implementation of the convention called the "5 Cs" — credibility, conservation, capacity-building, communication, and communities. Huh says "collaboration" should be added to the list.

"Cultural heritage has taken a massive hit due to wars, from Afghanistan to Ukraine, Egypt, and the wider Middle East. We have to keep sounding the alarm on this so that moving forward so that no political leader will think this is acceptable," he explained.

He added that climate change is another massive issue, using the example of tiny islands in the South Pacific whose historic sites are at risk from rising sea levels.

"So far UNESCO only designates such assets as 'heritage in danger' but it is an issue that individual countries cannot resolve — it requires collective international efforts. That's why we are planning to raise the concept of 'collaboration,' which is exactly what the Busan Declaration is trying to achieve."

Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul, where the ancestral tablets of 49 Joseon kings and queens are enshrined, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 and is widely recognized as the oldest and best-preserved royal Confucian shrine in East Asia. Courtesy of KHS

Highlighting Korea’s restoration technologies, which are recognized as world-class, Huh said that the country is leveraging its expertise through international aid to anchor itself at the forefront of global heritage policy.

"Starting this year through 2030, we are launching an official development assistance project to bolster preservation and management at Machu Picchu," Huh noted, saying Korea has also been asked to help salvage ancient shipwrecks off the coast of Vietnam.

"This initiative will deploy Korea’s premier conservation techniques and digital archiving know-how. Our restoration science is truly second to none."

He also said that renowned American institutions, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, hold Korea's conservation science in high regard.

Balancing development and preservation

Huh commented that while the destruction of heritage sites due to climate change and urban development is a hot-button issue for the World Heritage Committee — including a controversial development project to build a high-rise near Jongmyo Shrine in central Seoul — fully adopting the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) could serve as a vital tool to find balance.

Under the KHS's direction, Korea has taken the rare and proactive step of legally mandating the HIA by establishing the Special Act on the Preservation, Management and Utilization of World Heritage.

"It allows the government to fully preserve the historical value of world heritage while utilizing development to revitalize and improve the surrounding areas," Huh said. A prime example, he noted, is the Taereung public housing development project in Seoul, which sits adjacent to a UNESCO-listed royal tomb.

"Working hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and actively utilizing the HIA, we are shaping this project into a model case for how world heritage and urban development can successfully coexist," he said.

Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream in Ulsan are another example of debate over how to preserve heritage in danger. The petroglyphs, which were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site last year, vividly depict prehistoric hunting scenes. The rocks where they are carved, however, become fully submerged during heavy rainfall due to overflow from a nearby dam.

During the UNESCO session, KHS plans to invite visiting experts and guests to the site, turning it into an open forum where participants can discuss how to properly maintain and preserve world heritage, and how local and central governments can collaborate effectively.

Petroglyphs of Cheonjeon-ri, a part of Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream in Ulsan, are inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Courtesy of KHS

"People are worried that the petroglyphs will be submerged due to torrential rains in July when the meeting takes place, but my approach is to bring everyone together to discuss it openly. Our country has already spent over 25 years trying a multitude of methods to preserve this site. Now, I believe it is time to put everything on the table," said Huh, who is a leading expert in paleontology and geology.

"A true UNESCO approach means laying things out openly to bring international consultation."

Huh related the issue to the birth of UNESCO World Heritage Convention, which was sparked by Egypt’s Aswan High Dam project in which the Abu Simbel temples and colossal statues of Ramesses II faced the threat of being completely submerged. This incident prompted the entire world to join forces to relocate them.

Korea earned its first World Heritage listings in 1995. Today, Korea is home to 17 sites, including two natural heritage sites: the Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats and Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes. During the annual convention in Busan, four additional tidal flats are expected to be listed under the "Getbol Phase 2" project, expanding the existing natural heritage area.

Huh stressed that the phase two expansion goes beyond a simple increase in area. "By supplementing the ecological characteristics and biodiversity from the first phase, it allows us to fully demonstrate the Outstanding Universal Value of Korea's tidal flats, which will significantly elevate our international standing," he said, referring to the operational guideline for the implementation of the convention.

"The tidal flats proposed for expansion play a critical role in terms of migratory bird habitats, flyways and overall ecosystem connectivity, thereby strengthening the integrity of the World Heritage property."

Reimagining K-heritage through AI

Furthermore, to some 3,000 delegates from 196 countries participating in the global gathering, Korea will showcase its cutting-edge digital capabilities by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to exhibit the nation's tangible and intangible heritage.

"While a massive wildfire in North Gyeongsang Province last year tragically destroyed the cultural heritage of the thousand-year-old ancient Goun Temple, we were able to restore it to its exact original state because the building had fortunately been archived as digital data," he said.

"Taking this a step further, rather than just restoring past artifacts, thanks to AI technology, we can now allow people to step inside them and interact — just like bringing those classic figures to life to reenact historical moments," he added, referencing legendary Joseon-era artist Sin Yun-bok’s iconic paintings, which have been transformed into a VR experience.

"We can also take recordings of late pansori (traditional Korean narrative singing) masters and use AI to recreate their voices, allowing them to perform live once again. This represents a complete reimagining of K-heritage through AI technology. That is where Korea's unique strength lies," he said.

During the international event, he will also raise awareness about ethical standards, data security and the digital divide when it comes to how we record, interpret and access heritage today.

To globally publicize Korean heritage, KHS has organized a various tour programs during the convention, encompassing World Heritage sites near Busan such as Tongdo Temple in Yangsan, the Bangucheon Petroglyphs in Ulsan and Bulguk Temple and Seokguram Grotto in Gyeongju.

The program also includes capital region landmarks such as Changdeok Palace in Seoul and Suwon Hwaseong Fortress in Gyeonggi Province. Furthermore, the tours will feature sites on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, including the wartime capital locations in Busan and the Hoeam Temple site in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province.

As Huh approaches his one-year anniversary in office, he emphasized, "We need to shift our perspective and view national heritage not simply as relics of the past, but as cultural, economic and tourism assets to be passed down to future generations."

One of such initiatives Huh has introduced is revitalization of centuries-old traditional houses in rural areas. Under this project, government funds are used to install modern extensions like updated restrooms while carefully maintaining the traditional exterior.

Rather than leaving these architectural treasures untouched, the goal is to draw people back to these homes, transforming them into living, breathing spaces. "The value of our heritage lies not only in preservation, but also in its potential to generate new added value through digital content, regional tourism and cultural industries. We must approach and embrace it as a vital asset for future growth," he emphasized.

Huh Min, administrator of the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) / Courtesy of KHS

Who is Huh Min?

Huh Min is the administrator of the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and a professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Chonnam National University.

Dubbed Korea’s "Dr. dinosaur," he is a widely recognized paleontologist and geologist who earned his master's degree from Seoul National University and his doctorate from Korea University before completing postdoctoral research at the University of Wales.

During his career as director of the Korea Dinosaur Research Center, he led a historic excavation in Boseong County, South Jeolla Province, which uncovered skeletal remains from the late Cretaceous period. The fossils were later named Koreanosaurus boseongensis, marking the first time a distinct, native Korean dinosaur genus was identified from an articulated skeletal fossil rather than just footprints or eggs.

He has also played a role in UNESCO initiatives, serving as co-director and scientific adviser for Mudeungsan UNESCO Global Geopark in Gwangju since 2018, and is an honorary member of the Geological Society of London.