Korea's Tidal Flats Double as World Heritage Site; Pan-Yellow Sea Ties Eyed

Korea has succeeded in expanding the UNESCO World Heritage inscription of "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats" with a Phase 2 addition. As a result, most of the major tidal flats along the southwestern coast will be preserved and managed as World Heritage sites. The development is also drawing attention to pan-Yellow Sea tidal flat conservation linking the two Koreas and China.

The 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided on the Phase 2 expansion of "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats" (natural heritage) at its sixth-day plenary session held at BEXCO in Busan on the 25th. The newly added tidal flats are located in Seosan in South Chungcheong Province, Muan in South Jeolla Province, and the Yeosu-Goheung area of South Jeolla Province, with a total heritage area of 27,975 hectares.

Korea had previously inscribed the Seocheon tidal flat in South Chungcheong Province, the Gochang tidal flat in North Jeolla Province, the Sinan tidal flat in South Jeolla Province, and the Boseong-Suncheon tidal flat in South Jeolla Province together as "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats" (128,411 hectares) on the World Heritage list in 2021. Combining Phase 1 and Phase 2, the total heritage area amounts to 156,386 hectares. Given that the Sinan tidal flat alone accounts for most of Phase 1 at 100,086 hectares, the heritage area has effectively doubled.

The World Heritage Committee said in an official statement that day that "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats meets the World Heritage inscription criteria addressing the importance of biodiversity and endangered species conservation." It added that "as a key habitat within the Yellow Sea ecosystem and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, it contributes to the conservation of internationally important migratory waterbirds and diverse marine life."

As a result, through the Phase 2 inscription, the entire "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats" World Heritage site is divided into five areas encompassing South Chungcheong, North Jeolla, and South Jeolla provinces: the Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung tidal flats, the Sinan-Muan tidal flats, the Gochang tidal flat, the Seocheon tidal flat, and the Seosan tidal flat. Because this inscription is an expansion, Korea's total World Heritage sites remain unchanged at 17, comprising 15 cultural heritage sites and 2 natural heritage sites.

Heo Min, head of the Korea Heritage Service, said that day, "We hope to advance international solidarity and cooperation to preserve the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the tidal flats to the next level."

Attention is also turning to efforts toward a Phase 3 tidal flat inscription. Despite the Phase 2 expansion, the tidal flats in Gyeonggi, Incheon, and South Gyeongsang provinces are still not included. The World Heritage Committee's advisory body, in disclosing its review results, recommended that Korea "analyze additional tidal flats with OUV in the future."

The decision to expand the inscription of "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats" is also drawing attention to the value of the pan-Yellow Sea (West Sea) tidal flats. China inscribed the "Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China" on the World Heritage list in 2019, while North Korea this year placed its "West Sea Coastal Wetlands of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," encompassing the Sindo and Munduk areas, on the tentative list, a preliminary list for World Heritage inscription.

UNESCO, Korea's Getbol Inscription Promotion Team, the World Coastal Forum (WCF), and China's Yancheng Wetland Center held a special seminar at BEXCO in Busan on the 25th under the theme "The Journey of Migratory Birds Across Borders: Conserving the Yellow Sea Tidal Flats through Transboundary Cooperation within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway," and adopted the "Busan Declaration on Cooperation for the Conservation of Yellow Sea Tidal Flats and Coastal Wetlands."

Specifically, the declaration included cooperation measures such as the long-term conservation and effective management of World Heritage sites and coastal wetlands related to the Yellow Sea in the two Koreas and China, the promotion of communication and cooperation between relevant countries and international organizations, and joint research, monitoring, and data sharing. The parties plan to hold a meeting within the next year to discuss specific areas of cooperation.

Meanwhile, the "Korea Pavilion," which the Korean government presented to commemorate the Busan World Heritage Committee, is proving a success. From the 20th, when it opened, to the 25th, a total of 72,143 people visited the "Korea Pavilion" set up in Exhibition Hall 1 at BEXCO in Busan over six days. That amounts to an average of more than 10,000 visitors per day.

The "Korea Pavilion" is a space designed to introduce and offer experiences of Korea's cultural heritage during the committee period. It is regarded as an event for the general public that is rarely seen in the history of the World Heritage Committee. The Korea Heritage Service said, "Expanding diverse programs to the general public, beyond a conference for experts alone, is proving effective."