- “Exploring UNESCO World Heritage of Korea” will take place

from June to November in both in-person and contact-free ways

 Korea Culture and Information Service (KOCIS, Director Park Jung-Youl) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (Minister Hwang Hee) is hosting “Exploring UNESCO World Heritage of Korea”, a project in forms of in-person and contact-free way, inviting foreign students in Korea.

Following the previous year, KOCIS will continue to release videos of cultural heritage visits online. Each visit will consist of two to three videos in the form of documentary and entertainment so that people can enjoy contactless trips to cultural heritage sites in Korea. People can watch foreign cast and participants in the “K-UNESCO Adventures” series exploring and easily understanding Korea’s cultural heritage including ▲ Gyeongju Historic Areas, ▲ Bulguksa, ▲ Andong Hahoe Folk Village, ▲ Archives of the National Debt Redemption Movement, ▲ Taekkyeon, and ▲ Kimjang thanks to the explanation of experts.

The first video titled “Who Knows More about Silla” filming a visit to Bulguksa will be released on Wednesday, June 2nd. Bulguksa was designated as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995. Its stone base and wooden buildings are well harmonized, making the temple have high value as Korea’s ancient temple architecture. The first video will introduce various meaningful cultural assets in Bulguksa such as Blue Cloud Bridge, White Cloud Bridge, and Dabo Pagoda. The following second and third episodes will include the introduction of Daereungwon Tomb Complex, Cheonmachong, Cheomseongdae, the Bell of King Seongdeok, etc. 12 episodes of various cultural heritage including the first three videos are planned to be released until November.

Small-Group Field Trips and Youtube Live Streaming of Cultural Heritage

KOCIS is planning to safely host in-person events where a small group of participants can enjoy field trips by strictly complying with COVID-19 prevention guidelines. Participants will explore Korean culture by visiting ▲ Jeonju National Intangible Heritage Center, ▲ Nonsan Donam Seowon, ▲ Baekje Historic Areas, and ▲ Namhansanseong. Around 10 participants, including Korea.net’s honorary reporters and foreigners recruited online, will join each field trip. The field trip will consist of programs that help participants easily understand Korean culture. However, in-person events will be flexibly scheduled considering the spread of COVID-19.

Moreover, this year, “Live Streaming of Cultural Heritage Class” is scheduled online under the theme of Hanbok and Kimjang in June and November respectively. In June, foreign viewers will have a real-time talk watching a previously made hanbok introduction video filmed at Youngju Sosu Seowon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This live streaming class is particularly meaningful as it promotes the beauty of various types of hanbok from traditional wedding clothes in the Joseon era to modern designs along with an introduction to a UNESCO world heritage site.

Every video and live streaming of culture class will be consecutively released on both the KOCIS youtube channel* and the official website of “Exploring UNESCO World Heritage of Korea”**.

* KOCIS youtube channel: youtube.com/GatewayToKorea

** Official website: http://heritageinkorea.kr

A person in charge of the project said, “I hope that ‘Exploring UNESCO World Heritage of Korea’ provides foreigners who have difficulties in traveling in Korea due to COVID-19 with opportunities of learning the value of Korean culture as a part of world heritage by indirectly exploring Korea’s cultural assets.”

Appendix

Thumbnails of 2020-2021 “Exploring UNESCO World Heritage of Korea”