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| 2026-07-25 16:31:45
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SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) -- The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided Saturday to expand the boundaries of South Korea's tidal flats on its World Heritage List.
The committee supported the expanded inscription of Korean "getbol," or tidal flats, onto the list at its 48th annual meeting in Busan, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
With the approval of "Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats Phase II," the boundaries of the UNESCO-listed Korean wetlands now include four additional coastal wetlands -- in Seosan in South Chungcheong Province, and Goheung, Muan and Yeosu in South Jeolla Province.
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.
Saturday's decision had been widely expected as 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. Sites receiving such a recommendation are highly likely to be approved.
Following the expansion, the UNESCO-listed Korean tidal flats will be regrouped into six zones: 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, respectively.
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 along the stream in suburban Ulsan, were inscribed last year.
According to a non-profit foundation working to get the world heritage status for Korean tidal flats, the newly added heritage areas cover approximately 279.75 square km, with an additional 247.95 square km designated as buffer zones for protection.
With the expansion, the area of the heritage has increased 22 percent, according to an IUCN official.
The Seosan tidal flats in Garorim Bay, the northernmost among the newly inscribed areas, are known as a regular habitat for spotted seals, top predators in marine ecosystems, 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 such as mudflat crabs, red-clawed marsh crabs and milky fiddler crabs.
Goheung tidal flats are known to support 726 species, forming a rich ecosystem of fine mudflats and diverse marine algae, while the Tando Bay tidal flats in Muan, together with the nearby Sinan flats, have been recognized as important habitats for waterbirds. Hamhae Bay in Muan is particularly valued as a habitat for 17 internationally endangered bird species.
The World Heritage Promotion Team of Korean Tidal Flats said the expansion represents "a process of completing ecological connectivity by linking migratory waterbird flyways and strengthening the overall protection system of tidal flats along the west coast."
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."
Despite the expanded designation, some key areas were left out, including tidal flats in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, as well as Ganghwa tidal flats, known as a breeding ground for endangered black-faced spoonbills.
Civic groups from Incheon, Busan and Hwaseong recently held a press conference outside the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center, the venue for the ongoing 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, calling for the need to push for a third-phase expansion of the UNESCO heritage site to include tidal flats in those regions,
When announcing the results of its nomination review in June, the IUCN recommended further analysis of additional Korean tidal flats with "outstanding universal value" for possible future inscription.
Huh said he hopes the latest inscription will serve as an opportunity to further expand international cooperation for the conservation of "the Yellow Sea ecosystem and the East Asian-Australasian flyway for migratory birds."
The city government of Seosan, where one of the wetlands is located, welcomed Saturday's decision.
"The tidal flats have become a precious heritage that humanity must pass on to future generations," Mayor Lee Wan-seop said in a release, vowing to put in administrative efforts to preserve the marine ecosystem of the wetlands.
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