List of World Heritage Sites in South Korea


The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. The Republic of Korea accepted the convention on 14 September 1988, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2019, there are fourteen World Heritage Sites in South Korea, including thirteen cultural sites and one natural site.
The first three sites of South Korea, Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks, Jongmyo Shrine and Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple, were inscribed on the list at the 19th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Berlin, Germany in 1995. In 2007, Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes became the first site selected for its natural significance. South Korea's latest inscription, Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies, was added to the list in 2019.
In addition to its inscribed sites, South Korea also maintains fourteen properties on its tentative list.

World Heritage Sites

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, whereas vii through x are natural.
SiteImageLocationYear listedDescription
Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa TempleKorNorth Gyeongsang1995Cultural:KorSeo
Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana WoodblocksKorSouth Gyeongsang1995Cultural:KorHae
Jongmyo ShrineKorSeoul1995Cultural:KorJon
Changdeokgung Palace ComplexKorSeoul1997Cultural:KorCha
Hwaseong FortressKorGyeonggi1997Cultural:KorHwa
Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen SitesKorIncheon, North Jeolla and South Jeolla2000Cultural:KorCha
Gyeongju Historic AreasKorNorth Gyeongsang2000Cultural:KorGye
Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava TubesKorJeju2007Natural:KorJej
Royal Tombs of the Joseon DynastyKorGyeonggi, Seoul and Gangwon2009Cultural:KorRoy
Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and YangdongKorNorth Gyeongsang2010Cultural:KorHis
NamhansanseongKorGyeonggi2014Cultural:KorNam
Baekje Historic AreasKorSouth Chungcheong and North Jeolla2015Cultural:KorBae
Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in KoreaKorNorth Chungcheong, North Gyeongsang, South Chungcheong, South Gyeongsang and South Jeolla2018Cultural:KorSan
Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian AcademiesKorDaegu, North Gyeongsang, North Jeolla, South Chungcheong and South Gyeongsang2019Cultural:KorSwo

Tentative list

In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. As of 2020, South Korea maintains thirteen properties on its tentative list:
  1. Ancient Mountain Fortresses in Central Korea
  2. Daegokcheon Stream Petroglyphs
  3. Gaya Tumuli of Gimhae – Haman
  4. Kangjingun Kiln Sites
  5. Mt. Soraksan Nature Reserve
  6. Naganeupseong, Town Fortress and Village
  7. Oeam Folk Village
  8. Salterns in South Jeolla Province - Sinan and Yeonggwang
  9. Seoul City Wall
  10. Sites of fossilized dinosaurs across the southern South Korean coast
  11. Southwestern Coast Tidal Flats
  12. Stone Buddhas and Pagodas at Hwasun Unjusa Temple
  13. Upo Wetland