Overview
- The UNESCO World Heritage Committee approved Mount Kumgang’s inscription at its 47th session in Paris on July 13, officially designating it “Mt. Kumgang – Diamond Mountain from the Sea.”
- UNESCO classified the site as a mixed natural and cultural heritage landscape, citing its seasonal vistas, towering peaks, waterfalls, pools and coastal panorama.
- Advisory bodies ICOMOS and IUCN had recommended the mountain’s inclusion in May after a review that was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Mount Kumgang becomes North Korea’s third World Cultural Heritage listing, joining the Complex of Koguryo Tombs (2004) and the Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong (2013).
- In its executive summary, UNESCO noted the site’s role in Korean Buddhist mountain worship and pilgrimage traditions spanning many centuries.