The Petroglyphs in Bangudae Terrace located in the village of Daegok-ri are part of the Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream in Ulsan's Ulju-gun County. (Korea Heritage Service)

By Kim Seon Ah 

The Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream, located in Ulju-gun County of Ulsan and showing the lives of prehistoric people on the Korean Peninsula, will likely be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) on May 26 said the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a UNESCO advisory body, recommended the Petroglyphs for designation as a World Heritage Site. A recommendation from the council is highly likely to result in inscription by the World Heritage Committee barring an unexpected event.

ICOMOS said the Petroglyphs demonstrated the artistry of prehistoric residents of the Korean Peninsula through realistic depictions and unique compositions based on exceptional observation skills, calling them a "masterpiece" reflecting the people's creativity through the depiction of whales and the main stages of whaling.

This unique evidence shows a petroglyph tradition that spans some 6,000 years since prehistoric times and encapsulates the cultural development of people on the southeastern coast of the peninsula, it added

The final decision on the inscription will come during the World Heritage Committee Meeting in Paris from July 6-16. If approved, Korea will raise its total on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites to 17 -- 15 cultural and two natural.

sofiakim218@korea.kr