1. At the 40th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) held in Paris, France, on October 25, the Republic of Korea was elected to serve as a vice chair of the WHC during its 41st session in 2017.

° The ROK will serve as a vice chair of the WHC until the end of the 41st WHC session, which will take place in Krakow, Poland, the WHC chair, in July 2017.

2. The ROK was elected to serve as a vice chair for the 32nd WHC session from 2007 to 2008. The country’s re-election to the post reflects the international recognition of its standing as a leader in the world heritage system.

3. UNESCO’s 21-member WHC is a major body in the world heritage system that reviews applications for world heritage inscription and makes the final decision on the inscription of heritages on the World Heritage List (WHL). As a WHC vice chair, the ROK will lead joint efforts of the international community to develop the world heritage system.

4. On a side note, since becoming a signatory to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1988, the ROK has had 12 assets inscribed on the World Heritage List.


* unofficial translation