Travel
‘Heritage of Busan Wartime Capital of Korea’ moves closer to UNESCO World Heritage status
haps Magazine Korea
November 16, 2025
Heritage of Busan: Wartime Capital of Korea (Photo courtesy of City of Busan)
Busan’s historical sites from the Korean War era, collectively known as “Heritage of Busan: Wartime Capital of Korea,” have taken a major step toward being inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
On November 13, the Cultural Heritage Administration selected the collection for its “Priority World Heritage Listing,” marking a key advancement in the process toward UNESCO recognition.
The selection comes three years after the heritage sites were added to Korea’s tentative list in 2022.
Following a previous deferral in 2024, Busan City revised and strengthened its submission, addressing feedback from the Cultural Heritage Committee’s World Heritage Subcommittee. Improvements included clearer connections between individual sites, the addition of new heritage components, and a more detailed management and preservation plan that aligns with UNESCO’s “Outstanding Universal Value” criteria.
The updated submission now includes 11 heritage sites, expanding from the previous nine.
The new additions—Yeongdodaegyo Bridge and Baekmusan Water Reservoir—join historically significant landmarks such as the Provisional Presidential Residence, Dong-A University’s Seokdang Museum (formerly the Central Government Building), Busan Port Pier 1, UN Memorial Cemetery, and the Ami-dong Tombstone Village.
Together, these sites document Busan’s crucial role as Korea’s temporary capital during the Korean War, symbolizing the city’s resilience and the spirit of humanitarian solidarity that sustained the nation during crisis.
At the recent committee meeting, Busan Vice Mayor Lee Jun-seung personally presented the city’s proposal, emphasizing Busan’s commitment to preserving and promoting the legacy of the wartime capital.
The revised application highlighted Busan’s role not only as a refuge for displaced citizens and the temporary seat of government but also as a center of international cooperation and peacebuilding a narrative that aligns with UNESCO’s global values.
As a result, the committee recognized the heritage collection as an exceptional representation of a national refuge city that maintained state functions and social systems under wartime conditions, while embodying a universal message of peace and human resilience.
With this milestone, Busan will now proceed to UNESCO’s Preliminary Assessment, an expert review that evaluates the readiness and global significance of the nomination. Among Korea’s 14 tentative listings, only two sites — Haeamsa Temple Site in Yangju and Busan’s Wartime Capital Heritage — have advanced to this priority stage.