Thanks winterkjm! I have included them

Tentative List Process in Korea (in-depth)




I will come back to this quote from Els from 2024 at the end!

Korea's Tentative List (5 active nominations)
1) Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats [Extension] (2026)
2) Capital Fortifications of Hanyang (2027)
3) Archaeological Remains at the Hoeamsa Temple Site in Yangju City (2029) *submitted file for preliminary evaluation
4) Sites of the Busan Wartime Capital (2030) *applied for priority status
5) Stone Buddhas and Pagodas at Hwasun Unjusa Temple *applied for priority status

Busan Wartime Capital (additional components recently submitted for inclusion)
- Yeongdo Bridge
- Bokbyeongsan Reservoir

Reports on Capital Fortifications of Hanyang November 2025
Reports on Hoeamsa Temple October 2025

Major Tentative List Revisions (5 year process thus far)

Initiation of the Process: Korea ICOMOS Summer / Fall 2021: Recommendation for Inclusion on Tentative List (12 properties)

Phase 1: Rejected candidate May 2022 (Cheongsando Island in Wando)
Phase 2: ICOMOS Silk Roads Thematic Study Published June 2022: Eastern Routes (China, Korea, Japan)
Phase 3: Tentative List addition July 2022 (Hoeamsa Temple Site)
Phase 4: Tentative List re-nomination February 2023 (Capital Fortifications of Hanyang)
Phase 5: Rejected candidate March 2023 (Jeongjo Cultural Heritage)
Phase 6: Tentative List additions May 2023 (Busan Wartime Capital, Getbol Extension)
Phase 7: Tentative List Re-examination Begins November 2024 (expected duration 12-18 months)
Phase 8: Non-active nominations from prior tentative list, re-submission period December to March 2025 (4 of 7 re-applied for inclusion on Tentative List)
Phase 9: Advisory Experts provide guidance June to October 2025 (additional nomination(s) received 9.1.25)
Phase 10: Rejected candidate (though encouraging feedback) October 2025 (Taesil, Placenta Chambers of the Joseon Dynasty) *serial nomination 7 components

Awaiting update, next meeting scheduled January 2026

How are aspiring nominations submitted for evaluation to the Korean Heritage Service? They must adhere to this rule below and can only be submitted through these channels. There is a dual approach, top-down and bottom-up, in which candidate submissions often originate from stakeholders in the cities and provinces themselves. This can lead to nominations with a lot of community support, the flip side is you sometimes get a mayor or governor making unrealistic aims to get a cultural site inscribed! Professionals in relevant heritage organizations can also submit candidate nominations. As previously mentioned, Korea ICOMOS came up with a list of potential nominations in 2021, which informs the process for a tentative list update, including follow-ups with local stakeholders.

Inclusion on the Tentative List
- The mayor of a special city, the mayor of a metropolitan city, the governor of a province, or the governor of a special self-governing province or a central administrative agency related to heritage.

Thus, the only cities that can officially submit candidate nominations to the Korea Heritage Service are:
Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan, and Sejong

Governors from each province can also submit candidate nominations, these are:
Gyeonggi, Gangwon, North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong, Jeonbuk, South Jeolla, North Gyeongsang, South Gyeongsang, Jeju

These cities are pursuing nominations:

Seoul - Modern Protestant Missionary Base (Jeong-dong), Confucian Royal Academy: Sungkyunkwan (consideration of associated Hyanggyo)
Daegu - Modern Protestant Missionary Base (Cheongna Hill)
Gwangju - Modern Protestant Missionary Base (Yangnim-dong)
Incheon - Port City Incheon

These provinces are pursuing nominations or are under consideration:

Gyeonggi (Capital: Suwon)
- Han River Estuary Wetland
- Demilitarized Zone (103 km) *unlikely unless thaw in relations with DPRK

Gangwon (Capital: Chuncheon)
- Ulleungdo
- Goryeo Temple Ruins of the Namhan River Basin
- Demilitarized Zone (145 km) *unlikely unless thaw in relations with DPRK
- Seoraksan National Park (reports indicates a late application to remain on tentative list)

North Chungcheong (Capital: Cheongju)
- Taesil, Placenta Chambers of the Joseon Dynasty (2 components)
- Ancient Mountain Fortresses (re-applied for inclusion on tentative list)
- Modern Protestant Missionary Base (additional components)
- Eastern Silk Road Route (identified potential sites)

South Chungcheong (Capital: Hongseong)
- Taesil, Placenta Chambers of the Joseon Dynasty (1 component)
- Oeam Village (re-applied for inclusion on tentative list)
- Eupseong, Walled Towns of Korea (Haemi) *potential re-nomination
- Modern Protestant Missionary Base (additional components)
- Eastern Silk Road Route (identified potential sites)

Jeonbuk (Capital: Jeonju)
- Goryeo Celadon Kilns (Buan) *potential re-nomination
- Jukmak-dong Ancient Maritime Relics
- Modern Protestant Missionary Base (additional components)

South Jeolla (Capital: Muan)
- Mudeungsan National Park
- Ancient Polities of the Yeongsan River Basin, Mahan Culture
- Goryeo Celadon Kilns (Gangjin, Haenam) *potential re-nomination
- Literati Gardens: Nujeong Culture of Honam and Yeongnam (Damyang)
- Eupseong, Walled Towns of Korea (Naganeupseong) *potential re-nomination
- Eupseong, Walled Towns of Korea (Gochang) *potential re-nomination
- Modern Protestant Missionary Base (additional components)

North Gyeongsang (Capital: Andong)
- Taesil, Placenta Chambers of the Joseon Dynasty (2 components)
- Literati Gardens: Nujeong Culture of Honam and Yeongnam (Andong)

South Gyeongsang (Capital: Changwon)
- Upo Wetland (re-applied for inclusion on tentative list)
- Eupseong, Walled Towns of Korea (Jinju) *potential re-nomination

Jeju (Capital: Jeju City)
- Jeju Stone Culture
- Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes [Extension]

If all of these potential nominations were approved by the Korea Heritage Service, Korea's Tentative List would have 25 total properties (counting the 5 active nominations). I suspect it will be far fewer, I would consider the sites listed above as a cap number. The Korea Heritage Service is stringent in its requirements to be included on the T-List. What's sometimes difficult is to distinguish reports of interest in pursuing world heritage status and what work has already been accomplished preparing a submission to the Korea Heritage Service that is viable. For example, recent reports indicate interest in 'Gyeryongsan, Korea's Sacred Mountain' and 'Historic Gunsan' to pursue world heritage status. However, both likely cannot develop a nomination for this current tentative list update, but maybe years into the future as no substantive work has been done.

On the other hand, there is a long history of work done at the city and provincial level to include these properties on the Tentative List:

- Modern Protestant Missionary Base
- Ancient Polities of the Yeongsan River Basin, Mahan Culture
- Taesil, Placenta Chambers of the Joseon Dynasty
- Goryeo Celadon Kilns

Korea's updated Tentative List is scheduled for 2026. Huh Min, the recently appointed Administrator of the Korea Heritage Service is an expert in Geology and Paleontology, which might bode well for a Jeju Extension and new natural nominations such as Mudeungsan National Park, Ulleungdo, Seoraksan, or even a renewed effort to re-examine and strengthen the rejected Korea's Cretaceous Dinosaur Coast nomination from 2009.


Now to return to the viability of more Korean nominations to the World Heritage List. Despite its size, I think Korea's missing WHS could be summarized as such; cultural landscapes associated with sacred mountains (mountain worship), modern heritage, and National Parks like Mudeungsan, Seoraksan. Moreover, a Jeju extension is overdue to better capture the diverse volcanic island's features. On the cultural side, the Modern Protestant Missionary Base serial nomination is promising, Cheongna Hill in Daegu, Jeong-dong in Seoul, and Yangnim-dong in Gwangju in particular stand out (I would be fine if that was the full extent of the nomination). Some of the Hanok influenced (fusion) missionary homes and churches feel unique. Additionally, the visitor experience is improving quite rapidly with new museums, restoration work, information / signage, and previously closed buildings becoming more accessible. If anything progressess (it may not), regarding the Eastern Silk Road Route initiative, a handful of special cultural sites in Korea (largely unknown to international visitors and this community) will come to light. Mireukdaewon Stone Temple Site and Rock-carved Triad Buddha in Seosan are a few of the identified sites that would be considered. There is indeed a fair number of Baekje treasures (outside of Buyeo / Gongju) and Silla treasures found on the outskirts of Gyeongju that are impressive in their own right, some more impressive than certain components of associated inscribed properties. Old roads and mountain passes like Mungyeong Saejae may be included. There are off course potential nominations that I am less enthused for, but I will defer my commentary until the process if completed.

This is very likely especially if China succeed to put its Jingdezhen kilns as WHS next year, it will open a trend of this kind of sites. And I believe Korea and Japan which also has long history of pottery will do the same.

A complication and trend in recent Korean WHS nominations (Sansa, Seowon, Gaya Tumuli), priority candidates Busan Wartime Capital, aspiring candidates like the Modern Protestant Missionary Base and Taesil, Placenta Chambers of the Joseon Dynasty is the number of serial components. Together these serial components contribute to an overall story. However each component is not created equal. Some of you know this first hand if you visited Gimhae Daeseong-dong (near Busan metro) as opposed to the two most representative and impressive components: Changnyeong Gyo-dong, Songhyeon-dong Tumuli and especially Goryeong Jisan-dong Tumuli. Our communities respective scores highlight the difference in experience 1.5 to 2.5 compared to 2.5 to 4! This is clearly true regarding the Taesil, Placenta Chambers of the Joseon Dynasty thrice proposed and rejected aspiring candidate. Though some headway has been made in its latest rejection. The only component which is large enough to be impressive is the Placenta Chambers of King Sejong's Son's (including King Sejo) in Seongju. The beautiful location and number of taesil stand out, but you'd be hard-pressed to spend more than 30 minutes at the site itself and still less than 1 hour total even with the adjacent museum. The other taesil are far more modest, usually a stone platform with a single placenta chamber of a king and the preservation is rarely as intact as the Seongju component (no museum either). This would be the equivalent in Korea to chasing down Struve Geodetic Arc markers! Yet, the tradition is hard to capture as a single monument covering a handful of princes and one king. Hence, local stakeholders and domestic heritage professionals face the choice between a serial nomination that contribute to an overall theme, story, tradition, etc. or a singular monument?

Should Naganeupseong Village be submitted alone (as initially intended) or be paired with 3-4 other Eupseong as recent reports suggest? This one could still go either way, but I've visited Naganeupseong and Haemieupseong. Thus I can see how instead of contributing to an overall story, the visitor experience could be diluted if travelers opt to only visit Haemieupseong (nearer to Seoul), which today is an impressive town fortress (larger than Naganeup), yet no village with residents remain within the fortress, only a few public buildings. So instead of an enclosed fortified town village, visitors would be visiting another variety of a Korean fortress, which after Hwaseong, Namhansanseong, and Seoul City Wall will likely feel an excessive time spent walking around and looking at stone walls. Increasingly, WHS travelers in Korea are visiting 5-15% of an inscribed WHS. One of seven Sansa, one of seven Gaya Tumuli, one of nine Seowon, or one of 18 Joseon Tombs. Yet for all 4 of these world heritage sites, I lean toward the serial approach as justified. Though I hesitate and have some reservations about what serial nominations may emerge in Korea's updated tentative list.




I agree with your point here and Zoë elaborated on this during her review 'Ancient Porcelain Kiln Site in China'. They also tend to be serial nominations, the reformulated Goryeo Celadon Kilns (Korea) includes kiln sites in Gangjin, Buan, and Haenam.

As far as pottery goes I didn't find it very special. The very similar tentative site in Korea (Gangjin Kiln Sites also listed as tentative site) has a much more unique feel about it. The showcases for just pieces of pottery did not justify the trip for what is apparently something special in the world. They should try to focus on that. Apparently this kind of pottery known as celadon originated from here. I would prefer that the two countries join forces on a celedon listing for a better chance to pass this.

Now with the Jingdezhen nomination for 2026, we see there are a variety of kiln nominations that vary by era and influence.

China - Ancient Porcelain Kiln Site in China (8th-16th Century) *Peak period Tang and Song Dynasty
Korea - Goryeo Celadon Kilns (11-14th Century) *Goryeo Dynasty only
China - Imperial Kiln Sites of Jingdezhen (15th-19th Century) *Peak period Ming and Qing Dynasty

Do you have a location for this? So I can add it to the map. I have done the bridge already.
This article calls it Baekmusan Water Reservoir
https://korea.stripes.com/travel/heritage-of-busan-wartime-capital-of-korea-unesco.html

Busan Bokbyeongsan Reservoir

35.106284770838535, 129.03314868299353

The reservoir shares a boundary with the Busan Meteorological Observatory.