ASEAN envoys visit wartime capital Busan to strengthen cultural heritage ties

South Korea's Cultural Heritage Administration is deepening cooperation with ASEAN member states on cultural heritage and launching a series of joint projects on shared heritage to be carried out over the next four years. The initiative aims to reaffirm historical solidarity between Korea and ASEAN and build a foundation for sustainable, two-way cooperation.

The Cultural Heritage Administration co-hosted the 8th Korea-ASEAN Cultural Heritage Consultative Body Steering Meeting in Busan from Wednesday to Thursday, together with the ASEAN Secretariat and the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Held as a side event of the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the meeting drew about 50 participants, including the head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, ASEAN ambassadors accredited to South Korea, and cultural heritage representatives from all 11 ASEAN countries. Participants reviewed the consultative body's achievements and discussed cooperation strategies. The body has been sharing heritage cooperation agendas and identifying joint projects since its launch in 2022. The meeting also served as a forum to align future cooperation with ASEAN's socio-cultural community vision and its cultural and arts strategy.

On the first day, Wednesday, the Cultural Heritage Administration held a consultation with ASEAN ambassadors to South Korea at the Westin Josun Busan hotel. The administration chief and envoys from all 11 ASEAN member states attended to discuss the direction of cultural heritage cooperation and ways to make it more effective.

"Cultural heritage is a shared value that connects people across borders," said Heo Min, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration. "I hope this steering meeting will serve as a milestone for Korea and ASEAN to further strengthen mutual trust through cultural heritage and deepen our future-oriented partnership for shared prosperity."

At the steering meeting held at Bexco, the Cultural Heritage Administration presented its cooperation progress and joint projects planned for the four-year period from 2026 to 2029. The ASEAN Secretariat presented its policy directions and cooperation activities, including the ASEAN Cultural and Arts Strategy.

Participants toured side-event venues including the Korea Pavilion and visited the UN Memorial Cemetery and the KF ASEAN Culture House. The UN Memorial Cemetery is a component of "Heritage of Busan, the Wartime Capital during the Korean War," which is on UNESCO's Tentative List for World Heritage inscription. The visit prompted participants to reflect on the historical solidarity and friendly cooperation between Korea and ASEAN nations, including the Philippines and Thailand.

On the second day, Thursday, the KF ASEAN Culture House hosted presentations on each ASEAN country's international cultural heritage cooperation activities and the work of related domestic institutions. Participants then discussed detailed plans for joint projects and future cooperation directions.

The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to use the meeting as a springboard to formally launch the joint projects and systematically develop its cooperation strategy over the next four years. Going beyond one-off support, the administration intends to build a sustainable, two-way cooperation framework spanning cultural heritage creative industries, digital technology, and climate change response.