Korea will host the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan from July 19 to 29, 2026, marking the first time the country has hosted the annual gathering since joining the World Heritage Convention in 1988, thirty-eight years ago.
The session will be held at BEXCO in Busan’s Haeundae district, bringing together the 21 member states of the World Heritage Committee along with heritage experts, government delegations and observers from around the world to deliberate on new World Heritage inscriptions, monitor the conservation status of existing sites and set policy for the convention’s future direction. Hosting the committee session is widely regarded within the heritage-preservation field as a significant honor, one that typically goes to countries with an established record of engagement with the convention and a demonstrated capacity to manage the diplomatic and logistical scale of the event.
For Korea, the hosting role arrives at a moment when the country has been increasingly active in pursuing new UNESCO recognitions across multiple categories, from its ongoing bids for intangible cultural heritage status for traditions like ginseng cultivation and taekwondo dojang culture to active nominations for new World Heritage sites and Memory of the World documentary heritage listings.
Busan’s selection as host city also reflects the port city’s own ambitions to position itself as an international convention and cultural destination beyond its traditional identity as Korea’s second city and largest port, joining the ranks of global cities that have used major UNESCO gatherings to raise their international profile.
Source: Segye Ilbo, “Korea to Select 2026 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Busan,” 2025 announcement of host selection.
