Busan Beats the Competition: South Korea to Host UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2026!

Busan has secured the bid to host the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting, the Korea Heritage Service announced early Wednesday. This marks a historic milestone for South Korea, as it will be the country’s first time hosting the event since its establishment in 1977.

The prestigious gathering, slated for July 2026, is considered the largest annual international event in the cultural heritage sphere.

The announcement came during the 47th committee meeting held in Paris on Tuesday.

Busan emerged as the sole contender for next year’s meeting. Sources at The Korea Herald revealed that Vietnam had initially considered submitting a bid but ultimately decided to withdraw from the process.

The selection of host countries typically follows a continental rotation to ensure fair representation. With Asia’s turn approaching and both Japan and China having previously hosted, South Korea, as a committee member, actively pursued the opportunity. A senior official from the Korea Heritage Service told The Korea Herald, “Vietnam, our potential competitor, opted out of bidding, likely due to their assessment of slim chances of success.”

South Korea’s recent election to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in November 2023 secured its fourth term, which will run through 2027.

The Korea Heritage Service emphasized that hosting the meeting of the 21-member World Heritage Committee, where global strategies for artifact management are deliberated, would significantly boost Korea’s international standing.
This high-profile event is expected to draw government representatives responsible for nominating sites to the World Heritage List and devising protection strategies for existing heritage sites.

The Korea Heritage Service estimates that approximately 3,000 attendees will participate in the two-week event.

Previous Asian host cities for this prestigious meeting include Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia (2013), Suzhou in China (2004), Kyoto in Japan (1998), and Phuket in Thailand (1994).