By Yi Whan-woo
The government plans to host a UNESCO secretariat in Gwangju to address historical issues in documenting heritage in the Asia-Pacific region, according to officials.
In her speech at the headquarters of the U.N.'s educational, scientific and cultural group in Paris, Tuesday, President Park Geun-hye said Korea wants to set up the office for Asia-Pacific's Regional Memory of the World Committee.
The Memory of the World is a UNESCO program aimed at preserving and administering a collection of historically valuable records, including books, letters, photos and video documentaries as well as their digital versions.
"We want to establish an archive and other relevant systems to better preserve international heritage documents," Park said. "And Korea will work closely with UNESCO to address related issues in an objective and democratic manner."
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday it will sign a memorandum of understanding with UNESCO on Dec. 9 to establish the secretariat at the Asia Culture Center in downtown Gwangju. It did not mention when the office will open.
"This will be the first office of the Memory of the World's Asia-Pacific committee and we expect it will fairly and equally present historical issues," a culture ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
The Memory of the World has three regional committees in Asia-Pacific, Latin America-Caribbean and Africa.
The government's move came amid speculation that Japan is trying to prevent Korea, China and other Asian countries from winning UNESCO recognition for documents on Tokyo's wartime sex slavery.
An estimated 200,000 women, mostly Koreans and Chinese, were forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese Army during World War II.
The Women's Human Rights Commission of Korea (WHRCK), a Seoul-based organization under the wing of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, has been seeking to register Korean documents holding details on Japan's state-perpetrated sex crimes.
In October, China's foreign ministry hinted at joint efforts with Korea and other Asian nations after it failed in its independent bid to register documents on sex slavery in the Memory of the World Register.
Diplomatic sources said Japan has threatened to cut spending on its share of international expenses for UNESCO and called for a change in UNESCO's administration system for documentary heritage.
A UNESCO director-general decides whether to endorse candidates for the document register based on a recommendation made by an advisory group every two years.
The government plans to host a UNESCO secretariat in Gwangju to address historical issues in documenting heritage in the Asia-Pacific region, according to officials.
In her speech at the headquarters of the U.N.'s educational, scientific and cultural group in Paris, Tuesday, President Park Geun-hye said Korea wants to set up the office for Asia-Pacific's Regional Memory of the World Committee.
The Memory of the World is a UNESCO program aimed at preserving and administering a collection of historically valuable records, including books, letters, photos and video documentaries as well as their digital versions.
"We want to establish an archive and other relevant systems to better preserve international heritage documents," Park said. "And Korea will work closely with UNESCO to address related issues in an objective and democratic manner."
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday it will sign a memorandum of understanding with UNESCO on Dec. 9 to establish the secretariat at the Asia Culture Center in downtown Gwangju. It did not mention when the office will open.
"This will be the first office of the Memory of the World's Asia-Pacific committee and we expect it will fairly and equally present historical issues," a culture ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
The Memory of the World has three regional committees in Asia-Pacific, Latin America-Caribbean and Africa.
The government's move came amid speculation that Japan is trying to prevent Korea, China and other Asian countries from winning UNESCO recognition for documents on Tokyo's wartime sex slavery.
An estimated 200,000 women, mostly Koreans and Chinese, were forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese Army during World War II.
The Women's Human Rights Commission of Korea (WHRCK), a Seoul-based organization under the wing of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, has been seeking to register Korean documents holding details on Japan's state-perpetrated sex crimes.
In October, China's foreign ministry hinted at joint efforts with Korea and other Asian nations after it failed in its independent bid to register documents on sex slavery in the Memory of the World Register.
Diplomatic sources said Japan has threatened to cut spending on its share of international expenses for UNESCO and called for a change in UNESCO's administration system for documentary heritage.
A UNESCO director-general decides whether to endorse candidates for the document register based on a recommendation made by an advisory group every two years.
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