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The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to expand the boundaries of South Korea's tidal flats on its World Heritage List, adding four additional coastal wetlands to the existing inscription. The decision was made Saturday at the committee's 48th annual meeting in Busan, approximately 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to Yonhap News.

With the approval of "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats Phase II," the UNESCO-listed Korean wetlands now include tidal flats in Seosan in South Chungcheong Province, and in Goheung, Muan, and Yeosu in South Jeolla Province.

Coverage Comparison

Yonhap News reported the expansion as a straightforward development, noting that the decision had been widely expected. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the advisory body on natural heritage to the World Heritage Committee, had previously recommended the inscription of the South Korean nomination, and sites receiving such a recommendation are highly likely to be approved.

The reports also detailed the regrouping of the tidal flats into six zones following the expansion: one encompassing wetlands in Boseong, Suncheon, Yeosu, and Goheung; a second including Sinan and Tando Bay in Muan; and the remaining four in Muan's Hamhae Bay, Gochang, Seocheon, and Seosan.

Key Claims

  • The UNESCO World Heritage Committee expanded the boundaries of South Korea's tidal flats on its World Heritage List, adding four additional coastal wetlands in Seosan, Goheung, Muan, and Yeosu.
  • The first set of four Korean tidal flats was inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2021 for its value as one of the world's most important habitats for maintaining biodiversity and as a key stopover for migratory birds.
  • South Korea currently has 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Seokguram Grotto, Bulguk Temple, and Jongmyo Shrine. Most recently, "Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream," prehistoric rock carvings in suburban Ulsan, were inscribed last year.
  • The newly added heritage areas cover approximately 279.75 square kilometers, with an additional 247.95 square kilometers designated as buffer zones for protection.
  • The Seosan tidal flats are known as a regular habitat for spotted seals and host around 170 bird species, including endangered black-faced spoonbills and Chinese egrets.
  • The Yeosu tidal flats are home to a wide range of species, including six endangered or legally protected wildlife species.
  • Goheung tidal flats are known to support 726 species, forming a rich ecosystem of fine mudflats and diverse marine algae.

Perspectives

Korea Heritage Service

Huh Min, head of the Korea Heritage Service, praised the inscription as "a highly meaningful achievement that further strengthens the value of the Korean tidal flats for biodiversity conservation and their integrity."

Civic Groups

Civic groups from Incheon, Busan, and Hwaseong called for the need to push for a third-phase expansion of the UNESCO heritage site to include tidal flats in those regions.