S. Korea to donate W5b to support UNESCO's intangible heritage efforts
South Korea will donate 5 billion won ($3.65 million) to support UNESCO's efforts to preserve and promote intangible cultural heritage around the world, the country's heritage agency said Saturday.
The Korea Heritage Service said it signed a framework arrangement with UNESCO in Paris on Friday to contribute to the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund under the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Under the agreement, the agency will contribute 1 billion won annually over the next five years to support UNESCO's project to create an online platform to share the best practices for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
It marks the first time South Korea has established a separate fund for a UNESCO project related to intangible heritage.
South Korea currently has 23 items on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, ranking fourth among the 184 states that are party to the convention. China tops the list with 39, followed by Turkey with 28 and France with 26.
During his trip to Paris, Korea Heritage Service Commissioner Choi Eung-chon met with Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, UNESCO's assistant director-general for culture, and emphasized the importance of South Korea hosting the 2026 plenary session of the World Heritage Committee. The venue for the meeting is expected to be determined in July.
South Korea has never hosted the session since the committee was first established in Paris in 1977.
South Korea is also seeking to become a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2026–2030 term, according to the agency. (Yonhap)
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