The Seoul city government said on the 30th that it, along with the Korea Heritage Service, submitted the application to inscribe "Capital fortifications of Hanyang" on the UNESCO World Heritage List to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre on the 16th.
On this day, the Seoul city government received an official letter from UNESCO confirming that the application had been formally accepted.
Accordingly, the capital fortifications of Hanyang will enter the official process for UNESCO World Heritage inscription. It will undergo evaluation by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the advisory body, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
This inscription bid was led by the Korea Heritage Service with the joint participation of the Seoul city government, Gyeonggi Province, and Goyang city. The capital fortifications of Hanyang is a concept that encompasses the entirety of fortification heritage that formed the capital's defense and administrative systems, including Hanyangdoseong. The Seoul city government said the fortifications surrounding the capital are assessed as having universal value as World Heritage because they were built and operated not as a single site but as a wide-area, organic defense system.
Inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List hinges on demonstrating a property's "Outstanding Universal Value." The capital fortifications of Hanyang was recently recognized for its potential for inscription in ICOMOS's preliminary assessment.
If it is placed on the agenda for inscription, the final decision on whether to inscribe it is expected at the 49th session of the World Heritage Committee next year.
Kim Tae-hee, head of the Seoul city government's Culture Headquarters, said, "This application for UNESCO World Heritage inscription is an important process to inform the international community of Seoul's historical value and the significance of its capital heritage," adding, "We will work closely with related agencies to ensure the capital fortifications of Hanyang are recognized as a shared heritage of humanity."
Meanwhile, Korea first placed Jongmyo, Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple, and the Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon on the World Heritage Representative List in 1995 and currently has a total of 17 World Heritage sites.