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3mo ago

Mount Kumgang Poised for UNESCO World Heritage Listing After Four-Year Bid

UNESCO advisory panels have endorsed listing it as a cultural landscape, clearing the way for final approval.

This file photo, released by the North Korean state television station Korean Central TV on Oct. 20, 2023, shows the autumn foliage at Mount Kumgang. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
This undated AP photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump speaking about a plan to establish a Golden Dome missile defense system. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Overview

  • North Korea submitted its UNESCO application in 2021, but pandemic delays paused evaluation until 2025.
  • Advisory bodies ICOMOS and IUCN recommended classifying the mountain as a cultural landscape rather than separate cultural and natural components.
  • The nomination under the title “Mt. Kumgang – Diamond Mountain from the Sea” aimed to highlight its seasonal beauty and cultural legends.
  • UNESCO describes the site as featuring some 12,000 peaks, waterfalls and clear-water pools set against a coastal backdrop.
  • Final endorsement by the World Heritage Committee would make it North Korea’s third World Cultural Heritage site following the Koguryo Tombs and Kaesong monuments.