Korea Information - Culture and the Arts

UNESCO HERITAGE IN KOREA

Korea’s vibrant cultural legacy, comprising music, art, literature, dance, architecture, clothing, and cuisine, offers a delightful combination of tradition and modernity. South Korea preserves a wealth of priceless cultural heritage, the majority of which have been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List to be protected for future generations.

Since the earliest settlements during prehistoric times, the people of Korea have developed a unique culture based on their outstanding artistic sensibility. The geographical conditions of the peninsula provided Koreans with opportunities to receive both continental and maritime cultures and ample resources, thereby forming original cultures of interest to and value for the rest of humanity, both then and now. Korea’s vibrant cultural legacy, comprising music, art, literature, dance, architecture, clothing, and cuisine, offers a delightful combination of tradition and modernity.

Gyeongju Historic Areas :-

Gyeongju was the capital of Silla for about one millennium. The city still contains a wealth of archaeological remains from the kingdom, and hence is often dubbed as “a museum without walls or roof.” The photo shows a scene of the Silla mound tombs located in the city

At the present time, Korean arts and culture are attracting many enthusiasts around the world. Korea’s cultural and artistic achievements through the ages are now leading many of its young talents to the world’s most prestigious music and dance competitions, while its literary works are being translated into many different languages for global readers. Recently, Korean Dansaekhwa (monochrome paintings) have become the talk of the global art world.

The world’s craze for K-pop reached its zenith in August 2020, when the South Korean boy band BTS achieved its first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with its first all-English-language single entitled “Dynamite.” BTS has become the first all-South Korean act to top the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the first one in Asia since 1963. This outcome reflects the popularity of K-pop throughout the world, including the United States, South America, and Europe, as well as Japan, China, and Southeast Asia, rather than just a feat of a specific group. It is in the same context that music videos of K-pop stars such as BLACKPINK, a South Korean girl group, have recorded explosive views on YouTube and become more popularized.

As such, the artistic excellence of globally recognized Korean culture was not built overnight. The original artistic sensibility reflected in the diverse artifacts and tomb murals of the Three Kingdoms Period became richer and more profound as Korea progressed through the periods of Unified Silla (676–935), Goryeo (918– 1392), and Joseon (1392–1910). In addition, the DNA of this artistic sensibility has been handed down through the generations to today’s Korean people.

South Korea preserves a wealth of priceless cultural heritage, the majority of which have been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List to be protected for future generations. As of 2020, a total of 50 South Korean heritage items are listed either as World Heritage Sites or Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, or included in the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

Changdeokgung Palace :-
Changdeokgung Palace, located in Waryong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, is one of the five Royal Palaces of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), and still contains the original palace structures and other remains intact. It was built in 1405 as a Royal Villa but became the Joseon dynasty’s official Royal Residence after Gyeongbokgung, the original principal palace, was destroyed by fire in 1592 when Japanese forces invaded Korea. Thereafter, it maintained its prestigious position until 1867, when Gyeongbokgung was renovated and restored to its original status. Changdeokgung was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.