S. Korea's Cheju to become world heritage site

South Korea will work to register Cheju Island as a world heritage site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday.

"Marking South Korea's entrance to the World Heritage Committee, the government will try to get Cheju Island on the heritage list," he told reporters at a weekly media briefing.

South Korea became a "state party" of the 21-member committee at an election in Paris, France, on Oct. 10. Its four-year membership begins next October.

Ban also said that South Korea will try to host meetings of the committee.

South Korea has seven world cultural heritages. They are Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon and the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks (1995); Jongmyo Shrine (1995); Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple (1995); Changdeokgung Palace Complex (1997); Hwaseong Fortress (1997); Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites (2000); and Gyeongju Historic Areas (2000).

Source: Agencies