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ExclusiveUNESCO warns historic Seoul shrine could end up on endangered heritage list

UNESCO has issued a caution regarding a development plan near a royal ancestral site in Seoul that is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, saying Jongmyo Shrine could end up on the List of World Heritage in Danger if the project is deemed to have significantly undermined its value. Following a recent Supreme Court verdict approving the city government’s decision to lift the height limit in Sewoon District 4 ― about 180 meters from the shrine ― UNESCO said it has begun formal monitoring and has requested detailed information from the Korean authorities. “UNESCO has formally requested information from the Korean authorities on this matter, for review by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies of the World Heritage Committee (the governing body of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention consisting of 21 elected States Parties) and also for possible examination of the state of conservation of the property at the upcoming World Heritage Committee session in July 2026,” a UNESCO spokesperson said in a statement sent to The Korea Times recently. UNESCO said any future pro

Nov 16, 2025By Jung Min-ho

UNESCO warns historic Seoul shrine could end up on endangered heritage list

What Supreme Court's heritage ruling means for Seoul, Korea’s cultural legacy

PHOTOS Underwater discovery reveals ancient celadon, shipwreck fragments off Korea's west coast

The only surviving wooden ship hull from the early years of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) is being salvaged off the coast of Taean, South Chungcheong Province. First discovered underwater alongside some 150 pieces of "buncheong" stoneware in 2015 by the National Research Institute of Maritime Heritage, the cargo vessel is believed to have sunk around 1420. Since 2009, the institute has uncovered traces of three other shipwrecks from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) in the same waters. Courtesy of National Research Institute of Maritime Heritage

Nov 10, 2025By Park Han-sol

[PHOTOS] Underwater discovery reveals ancient celadon, shipwreck fragments off Korea's west coast

AnalysisWhat Supreme Court's heritage ruling means for Seoul, Korea’s cultural legacy

In a decision with far-reaching implications for urban development and cultural preservation, the Supreme Court has upheld a Seoul city ordinance relaxing development restrictions near UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Jongmyo Shrine. The ruling strengthens cities’ right to shape urban planning ― in Seoul and beyond ― and limits the reach of national heritage authorities while triggering concerns over the future of Korea’s most treasured sites and its cultural legacy. For Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is expected to seek another term in next year’s local election, it is a major political win. On Thursday, the court validated a revised city ordinance, passed two years ago, which permits taller construction in areas outside the 100-meter preservation zone designated for national heritage sites. This means that city authorities do not need approval from the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), a central government entity, for urban development as long as they do so outside the buffer zones. With the ruling, the long-delayed redevelopment of “Sewoon District 4” now can proceed. T

Nov 7, 2025By Jung Min-ho

What Supreme Court's heritage ruling means for Seoul, Korea’s cultural legacy

Heritage chief warns Seoul's project may endanger Jongmyo Shrine's UNESCO status

South Korea's heritage chief has warned that the Seoul metropolitan government's decision to allow a high-rise building to be built directly across from Jongmyo Shrine could lead to the sacred site being stripped of its UNESCO World Heritage status. Huh Min, the head of the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), expressed "deep regret" at the National Assembly on Wednesday over the local government's recent approval to significantly raise the height limit for a city-led redevelopment project in the Sewun 4 District, located across from the 14th-century Confucian shrine. "The possibility of the inscription being revoked is not zero," Huh told the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts when questioned about potential consequences if the city proceeds with the plan. It was the first public remarks from the KHS chief on the project's implications on the shrine, which enshrines the ancestral tablets of Joseon Dynasty kings and queens. Last month, the city government revised its redevelopment plan for the Sewun 4 District, increasing the maximum allowable building height in the ar

Nov 7, 2025By Yonhap

Heritage chief warns Seoul's project may endanger Jongmyo Shrine's UNESCO status

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOKGyeongju APEC summit delivers cultural win for Korea

The successful Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, transformed the historic capital of Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) into a global diplomatic stage. Over the last week, 21 APEC member economies gathered not only to discuss pressing economic matters, but to experience Korea’s powerful blend of ancient heritage and soft power, positioned now as a crucial asset in international diplomacy. The APEC summit’s greatest asset was its setting. By holding the meeting in the city often called a living museum, instead of a modern capital, Korea showcased the depth and relevance of its heritage. The city’s long history and cultural sites were not passive scenery, but instead served as a powerful language, communicating and promoting Korea’s core diplomatic message of harmony and tradition to the APEC members in attendance. To better show how the country blended past and future, Gyeongju’s historical sites such as the Daereungwon royal tomb complex were used for spectacular media art shows, seamlessly merging 1,000-year-old

Nov 3, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Gyeongju APEC summit delivers cultural win for Korea

After 104 years, Silla's crowns reunite in blaze of gold in Gyeongju

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Prepare to be dazzled as you step into the dimly lit gallery of the Gyeongju National Museum. At once, a tide of shimmering gold will wash over you. For the first time in 104 years, all six gold crowns of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.E.-935 C.E.) reunite in a historic homecoming in Gyeongju, cradle of the ancient dynasty and birthplace of the regalia themselves. Since their excavation from royal tombs over the 20th century, these 1,500-year-old relics have ended up scattered among museums across Korea. “Silla Gold Crowns: Power and Prestige” at the Gyeongju National Museum marks their first full gathering, staged to commemorate the city’s hosting of the APEC summit. From the crown of Geumgwanchong, the first to be revealed to the world in 1921, to those of Hwangnamdaechong, Seobongchong, Cheonmachong, Geumnyeongchong and Gyo-dong, each gleams beneath the light, regally suspended in time. Accompanying them are gold belts, earrings, bracelets and rings unearthed from the same royal graves. Together, the 20 radiant artifacts — 14 of them state-de

Oct 27, 2025By Park Han-sol

After 104 years, Silla's crowns reunite in blaze of gold in Gyeongju

Korea's largest salt farm seeks delisting from national heritage register after forced labor scandal

Korea’s largest sea salt farm, located in Sinan, South Jeolla Province, is seeking to remove itself from the national heritage register, following a U.S. import ban over allegations of forced labor. Located on the county’s Jeung Island, Taepyung Salt Farm filed a request with the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) to delist both the farm itself and its Salt Gallery from the State-Registered Cultural Heritage list. It is rare for an operator to request delisting of a heritage site without incurring damage from natural disasters or fires. The decision comes months after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in April blocked all imports of sea salt from the producer, citing evidence that forced labor was used in its production process. According to CBP, this included the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, restrictions on movement, confiscation of identity documents, abusive living and working conditions, physical violence, debt bondage, withholding of wages and excessive overtime. The issue of exploitation at Sinan salt farms is not new. In 2014, Korean authorities identified 63 vi

Oct 26, 2025By Park Han-sol

Korea's largest salt farm seeks delisting from national heritage register after forced labor scandal

Smile of Silla: How ancient tile became face of APEC 2025

As Gyeongju prepares to host the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BCE-935 CE) is shining a spotlight on one of its most iconic artifacts: a sumaksae, or roof-end tile, featuring a gentle human face, widely known as the “Smile of Silla.” Also called the “millennium smile” for capturing the long-lasting spirit of Silla, the tile was chosen for the official emblem for APEC events. It represents Korea’s message of warmth, harmony and enduring spirit as it welcomes leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region. Smile for a thousand years The tile was discovered in the early 20th century at the site where Yeongmyo Temple once stood. Measuring just 11.5 centimeters in diameter, the tile may be small, but it holds extraordinary cultural and emotional value. It was more than just a decorative ornament — the tile also served a practical purpose capping off the ends of traditional Silla-era roofs. Unlike most end tiles from the period, which were mass-produced using molds, this particular piece was sculpted by hand,

Oct 26, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Smile of Silla: How ancient tile became face of APEC 2025

Museum without walls: Gyeongju’s journey from Silla capital to global stage

As leaders, delegates and visitors prepare to gather in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting on Friday and Saturday, few places in Korea embody the nation’s long history more vividly than the host city. Often called “a museum without walls,” Gyeongju served as the capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C-A.D. 935) through the Unified Silla era for nearly a thousand years. Its landscape remains heavily dotted with tombs, temples, historic buildings and ruins that bring that distant era to life. In this way, Gyeongju is often compared to ancient Athens or Rome — cities where open-air ruins, sacred monuments and royal tombs are part of the everyday landscape, connecting visitors directly with the past. Hosting the APEC summit in the city considered the cradle of the Silla Kingdom places global dialogue within the context of Korea’s historical roots, offering a reminder that today’s innovation and diplomacy stand on centuries of cultural legacy. Center of Silla’s golden age Gyeongju’s location in a natural basin m

Oct 24, 2025By Kim Se-jeong

Museum without walls: Gyeongju’s journey from Silla capital to global stage

Newly discovered Silla-era tomb in Gyeongju yields armor, crown, human remains

Archaeologists in the city of Gyeongju, once the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BCE-935 CE), have uncovered a wooden-chamber tomb beneath a major burial mound that is emblematic of burials for the era's elites. The discovery in Hwangnam-dong of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province includes human remains buried with a full set of armor and a helmet, along with earthenware, fragments of a gilt-bronze crown and protective gear for a horse. Gyeongju will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and the city government of Gyeongju held a joint press conference at the site Monday, announcing that a wooden-chamber burial had been found, located beneath the previously excavated Hwangnam-dong No. 120 mound site, which consists of a stone-mound wooden-chamber tomb. "The area had been damaged by farming, but we have been steadily excavating the site since 2018," an official from the Silla Cultural Heritage Research Institute, a foundation established by the local city government, said. "Six wooden

Oct 20, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min

Korean Heritage