• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.106-121
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• 2011

The number of World Natural Heritage Sites is smaller than that of World Cultural Heritage Sites. As of 2010, the total number of natural sites was 180, which is less than 1/3 of all cultural sites. The reason why the number of natural sites is smaller can be attributed to the evaluating criteria of OUV(outstanding universal value). Only 9 fossil related sites were designated as World Heritage Sites among 180 Natural Sites. This study compares their OUVs including the academic value and characteristics of the 9 World Heritage Sites to provide data and reference for KCDC(Korean Cretaceous Dinosaur Coast) to apply as a World Natural Heritage Site. This study was carried out to obtain information and data on the Wadi Al-Hitan of Egypt which was designated as a World Natural Heritage Site. The study includes field investigation for whale fossils, interviews of site paleontologists and staff, and inspections of facilities. Three factors can likely be attributed to its successful management and operating system. First, there is a system for comprehensive research and a monitoring plan. Secondly, experts have been recruited and hired and professional training for staff members has been done properly. Finally, the Wadi Al-Hitan has developed local resources with specialized techniques for conservation and construction design, which matched well with whale fossils and the environment at the site. The Wadi Al-Hitan put a master plan into practice and achieved goals for action plans. To designate a future World Natural Heritage Site in Korea, it is important to be recognized by international experts including IUCN specialists as the best in one's field with OUV. Full-time regular-status employees for a research position are necessary from the preparation stage for the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Local government and related organizations must do their best to control monitoring plans and to improve academic value after the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. As we experienced during the designation process of Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes as the first Korean World Natural Heritage Site, participation by various scholars and specialists need to be in harmony with active endeavors from local governments and NGOs.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.114-135
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• 2013

Among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the proportion of natural heritage to cultural heritage is relatively small. In 2007, the "Jeju Volcanic Island and Larva Tubes" was the first one that was designated as an UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in Korea. The growing Korean geological heritage condition and conservation case studies on management of the geological heritage were examined in this study. Furthermore, the purpose of this study is to show future driving strategy for conservation and improvement plan on our geological heritage. Natural Monuments as a state-designated natural property and Geoparks as a new application system for geological heritage are important to conserve our geological heritage. Public engagement through establishment of visitor centers is definitely needed to improve education and promotion. The study includes field investigation for the "Wadden Sea", an World Natural Heritage Site for a mud flat, interviews with staffs and experts who are responsible for investigating and managing the site. Three factors can likely be attributed to its successful management and conservation policy for the "Wadden Sea". First of all, there is an operation for integrated management system and joint secretariat for research and monitoring. Next, researchers invigorate the visitor centers for promotion and education on geological heritage. Finally, experts and staffs implement various research topics and projects based on a long-range plan. The study was carried out to evaluate the present condition of our geological heritage and to make a proposal as a policy to improve value and conserve them. In conclusion, this study provided future discussion that may help researchers to make a decision on long-term policies for the geological subject of Korean natural heritage.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.18
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• pp.93-114
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• 2017

This paper reviewed a total of eight sites in Vietnam inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The sites include the five cultural heritage sites(the Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Citadel of the Ho Dynasty, My Son Sanctuary, Hoi An Ancient Town, and Complex of Hué Monuments), two natural heritage sites (Ha Long Bay and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park), and one mixed heritage site (Trang An Landscape Complex). All these sites are situated in the northern and central areas of the country, and no inscribed site exists in the south. The two natural heritage sites and the Trang An Landscape Complex, a mixed heritage site, feature a typical Karst topographic landscape with limestone caves, cliffs, stalactites, and underwater rivers. The four cultural heritage sites as well as Hoa Lu of the Trang An Landscape Complex mainly consist of remains of the citadels of the capitals of ancient Vietnamese dynasties from the northern region. Due to the complex political situation in the aftermath of the long Vietnam War and the subsequent unification of the country, the Vietnamese government has been giving priority for inscription on the World Heritage List to sites with historical legitimacy in the northern region. It is hoped that the Vietnamese government will pursue more integrated cultural policies in the future that can help reduce north-south regional disparities.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.56-85
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• 2010

UNESCO World Heritage Programme was introduced following the adoption of Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972 in order to protect cultural and natural heritage with superb value for all mankind. Despite its short history of less than 40 years, it has been evaluated as one of the most successful of the cultural area projects of UNESCO with 890 world heritage registered worldwide. For systematic protection management of World Heritage, UNESCO, through systemization of registration, emphasis on the importance of preservation management plan, institutionalization of monitoring, and operation of World Heritage Fund, has utilized World Heritage Programme not just as a means of listing excellent cultural properties, but as a preservation planning tool, and accordingly, such policies have had a significant influence on the cultural heritage protection legislations of numerous nations. Korea has ratified World Heritage Convention in 1988, and with the registration of the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty in 2009, it has 9 World Heritage Sites. Twenty years have passed since Korea joined the World Heritage Programme. While World Heritage registration contributed to publicity of the uniqueness and excellence of Korean cultural properties and improvement of Korea's national culture status, it is now time to devise various legislative/systematic improvement means to reconsider the World Heritage registration strategy and establish a systematic preservation management system. While up until now, the Cultural Properties Protection Law has been amended to arrange for basic rules regarding registration and protection of World Heritage Sites, and some local governments have founded bodies exclusive for World Heritage Site management, a more fundamental and macroscopic plan for World Heritage policy improvement must be sought. Projects and programs in each area for reinforcement of World Heritage policy capacity such as: 1) Enactment of a special law for World Heritage Site preservation management; 2) enactment of ordinances for protection of World Heritage Sites per each local government; 3) reinforcement of policies and management functionality of Cultural Heritage Administration and local governments; 4) dramatic increase in the finances of World Heritage Site protection; 5) requirement to establish plan for World Heritage Site preservation protection; 6) increased support for utilization of World Heritage Sites; 7) substantiation and diversification of World Heritage registration; 8) sharing of information and experiences of World Heritage Sites management among local governments; 9) installation of World Heritage Sites integral archive; 10) revitalization of citizen cooperation and resident participation; 11) training specialized resources for World Heritage Sites protection; 12) revitalization of sustainable World Heritage Sites tourism, must be selected and promoted systematically. Regarding how World Heritage Programme should be domestically accepted and developed, the methods for systemization, scientific approach, and specialization of World Heritage policies were suggested per type. In the future, in-depth and specialized researches and studies should follow.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.215-225
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• 2009

This research aims to analyze the meanings that the inscription of 'jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes' onto UNESCO World Natural Heritage and the promotion of Geomunoreum International Trekking Fair has given to ecotourism in Jeju. The inscription of Jeju World Natural Heritage and its extension into Geomunoreum International Trekking Fair generated important meanings in Jeju ecotourism in terms of promotion subjects and direction of the natural heritage use. First, this research holds that the local government became a crucial role on ecotourism development, along with small-sized-voluntary group tourists. Second, the research reflects the change of Jeju ecotourism characteristics from simple landscape-oriented tourism to theme tourism such as Geo-tourism. Finally it was found out that community residents were encouraged to participate in regional engagement, while I suggest for some concrete ways to induce their participation for community-based development.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.127-133
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• 2019

This study intends to discuss the system improvement of landscape architecture field in the cultural heritage protection system, which is changing continuously. The results are as follows. First, the status of landscape architecture in cultural heritage, including natural monuments and scenic sites, must be defined. If possible, careful consideration should be given to establish the natural monuments law and scenic sites law, respectively, related to landscape architecture. Second, natural heritage must be preserved by focusing on "space" to include cultural artifacts and landscapes that may be missing through the method of "object" focused protection. Institutionally, the scope of work should be clearly shared by reviewing the redundancy and interrelationship of related laws. Third, in order to protect and manage natural heritage, a department that is wholly responsible for landscape architecture should be established independently at the Cultural Heritage Administration. Fourth, the landscape architecture field should be specified as the requirements for the commissioner of commission at the Cultural Heritage Protection Act. In addition, it is necessary to improve the system such as expending the roles of the repairing technician for landscape architecture and plants in the Cultural Heritage Protection Act.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.929-943
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• 2013

This paper examines the evaluation and categorization of national heritage 'Myeongseung(scenic places)' from the viewpoint of world heritage concept and its criteria. This study focuses on Myeongseung because the author thinks it implies the unique human-nature relationships that have been evolved in Korean Peninsula, and then draws some pending problems with the evaluation of those heritage. Formerly, the paper discusses theoretically the outcome and point at issue on concept, criteria, evaluation of world heritage, and then proposes three issues on the evaluation and categorization of national heritage 'Myeongseung': first, the establishment of basic concept for evaluation of heritage; second, the building of unified criteria list to cover both natural and cultural heritage; and third, the reorganization of categories for the advanced registration and management. Especially, the author emphasizes that it is necessary rather to extend actively the world heritage concept than to regard it as a fixed framework.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.264-279
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• 2023

The 50th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention was in 2022. In order to reflect on the present and future of the meaning of World Heritage, this paper examines the development and changes of the UNESCO World Heritage system. After promulgating the convention in 1972, the UNESCO World Heritage system prioritized the protection of heritage sites in the world that were at risk due to armed conflicts and natural disasters to bequeath heritage to the next generation. In addition, the UNESCO World Heritage's emphasis on Outstanding Universal Value represents the particular culture of human beings formed during a certain period of time, and acts as a significant source of soft power in public diplomacy. The UNESCO World Heritage might be perceived as a shared heritage that has not only become a channel to understand various national values, but also an effective medium to convey one of UNESCO's main principles, that is, peacebuilding. However, the UNESCO World Heritage is now at the center of conflicts of heritage interpretation between many stakeholders related to invisible wars, such as cultural wars, memory wars, and history wars as the social, political, and cultural contexts concerning World Heritage have dramatically shifted with the passing of time. Paying attention to such changing contexts, this paper seeks to understand the main developments in UNESCO World Heritage's discourse concerning changes to the World Heritage Operation Guidelines and heritage experts' meetings by dividing its 50-year history into five phases. Next, this paper analyzes the main shifts in keywords related to UNESCO World Heritage through UNESDOC, which is a platform on which all UNESCO publications are available. Finally, this paper discusses three main changes of UNESCO World Heritage: 1) changes in focus in World Heritage inscriptions, 2) changes in perception of World Heritage protection, and 3) changes of view on the role of the stakeholders in World Heritage. It suggests new emerging issues regarding heritage interpretation and ethics, climate change, and human rights.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.54-71
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• 2018

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first inscription of 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1978. Based on an overview of the implementation of the 'Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage', this article examines the current issues of the inscription of cultural heritage over the past 40 years. In particular, this paper focuses on the case study of 'Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Munakata Region' nominated by Japan, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List at the 41st World Heritage Committee in 2017. Also, it demonstrates the recent trend and investigates the issues of imbalances in the evaluation and the decisions among relevant actors in the nomination process of World Heritage. Furthermore, this article attempts to derive feasible implications and lessons, and to generate heritage discourse by examining Japan's management in 'heritage diplomacy' of the World Heritage Convention, which is rapidly changing in the course of its nearly half a century of implementation. In conclusion, the research is expected to provide Korea with strategic guidance marking the 30th anniversary of its entry into the Convention, and to steer the future direction for the inscription and conservation of cultural heritage.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.3
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• pp.476-487
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• 2015

This study was conducted to analyze the potential of Baekdu-daegan Mountain System (BDMS) in the Republic of Korea for World Heritage inscription and undertook preliminary global comparative analysis. UNEP WCMC global datasets, World Heritage global gap analyses and thematic studies conducted by IUCN were reviewed to see if the BDMS could have been identified within these as a priority area for World Heritage. With respect to potential Outstanding Universal Value this study found that the case for BDMS was weak. The BDMS lies within biogeographic regions which are already represented on the World Heritage List and at a global scale its natural values do not stand out. It was emphasized that a more fine scale analysis of the values should be undertaken. The BDMS stands out at a global scale in terms of the degree of contiguity between protected areas along its length and the legal and institutional frameworks established in the Republic of Korea. The BDMS has potential for a trans-national and serial properties along the full length of the BDMS, if two Koreas agree to work together.