From dolmens to tidal flats: Korea's World Heritage commemorative coins gather in one place

From dolmens and Seokguram Grotto to Jeju's lava tubes and tidal flats — commemorative coins bearing Korea's UNESCO World Heritage sites have come together in a single exhibition.

The Bank of Korea announced Monday that it will hold a currency exhibition titled "World Heritage Engraved on Commemorative Coins — A Record of History, Culture and Nature Through Coins" at the second-floor special exhibition hall of the Bank of Korea Money Museum in Jung-gu, Seoul. The exhibition runs from Tuesday through Oct. 31 next year, in partnership with the Korean National Commission for UNESCO.

The Cultural Heritage Administration and the Korea Heritage Service are participating as cooperating institutions.

The exhibition was conceived to mark the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which was held in Korea — in Busan — for the first time this year. It focuses on displaying commemorative coins issued on the theme of World Heritage sites alongside related artifacts, videos, photographs and documents.

To mark the exhibition, the Bank of Korea also issued two new commemorative coins this year featuring "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats" and "Petroglyphs of Bangudae."

The exhibition space is divided into an introductory section, a main exhibition and an epilogue. The main exhibition is organized around three themes — heritage inscribed in time, heritage embodying culture, and heritage embracing nature — with actual commemorative coins displayed alongside explanatory panels, photo and video content, and exhibition objects.

Interactive educational content is also on offer. Visitors can touch scale models of World Heritage sites, use cellophane sheets to uncover hidden heritage imagery on the coins, and zoom in on coin details via touchscreen.

Bank of Korea Deputy Governor Kwon Min-su said at the opening ceremony Monday that the exhibition was prepared to offer "a rich and multidimensional experience" by presenting Korea's World Heritage commemorative coins across three strands — history, culture and nature — alongside related records. "We will continue to reach the public across various regions through collaboration with diverse institutions," he added.

The Bank of Korea plans to continue the exhibition in cooperation with related institutions and also intends to hold a traveling exhibition visiting multiple regions.

Korea currently has 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites in total — 15 cultural and two natural.