Republic of Korea to Host 

the 48th Session of the World Heritage Committee in 2026

- ROK, officially designated as the host of the 48th session

of the World Heritage Committee to be held in Busan in July 2026 -

The Republic of Korea has been officially designated as the host country for the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, to be held in July 2026. On July 15, 2025, the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Paris, France (from July 6 to 16, 2025), officially announced that the Republic of Korea will host the next session.

Accordingly, the 48th session of the Committee will take place in Busan, selected as the host city following the completion of the national selection process on June 30.

While previous sessions of the Committee were held in Asia — including Japan in 1998 and China in 2004 and 2021 — this will the first time the Republic of Korea hosts the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.


As chair of the Bureau, the Republic of Korea will coordinate the work of Committee during the 48th session in Busan in 2026. The Bureau will be responsible for determining the dates and times of the meetings, as well as managing procedural arrangement of the session.

The World Heritage Committee is an annual international conference convened under the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, where key decisions are made regarding the inscription, conservation, and management of World Heritage sites. The event brings together approximately 3,000 participants, including representatives from the 196 States Parties to the Convention, the UNESCO Director-General, and various stakeholders involved in World Heritage.

The Korea Heritage Service will continue to work in close coordination with relevant government agencies, the Busan Metropolitan Government, and other experts to ensure the successful organization of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee.