KB News Desk
The 2026 World Heritage Young Professionals Forum, an official preliminary event of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, kicked off in Seoul on Monday, bringing together experts from around the world to discuss the future of World Heritage conservation.
Thirty-two young professionals selected from 30 countries will spend nine days, through July 21, visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites in Seoul, Suwon, Gyeongju and Busan while exploring ways to strengthen the protection and sustainable use of World Heritage for future generations.
The Young Professionals Forum has been held as an official event preceding the annual World Heritage Committee meeting since 1995.
This year’s forum is held under the theme “World Heritage, Communities and Education: Empowering Youth as Agents of Change.”
Participants will discuss communities and people-centered approaches to World Heritage management, strengthening education, research and learning related to World Heritage, and the role of young people as key stakeholders in its preservation.
The participants will present a Youth Declaration summarizing their discussions at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee on July 20 at Bexco in Busan.
“World Heritage connects us with our past, but its future depends on the choices we make today,” said Huh Min, Administrator of the Korea Heritage Service, in his opening remarks.
“When communities are actively involved, when education helps people understand its value, and when young people bring new ideas and energy, World Heritage becomes stronger and more sustainable.”
Hong Hyun-ik, Secretary-General of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, said, “We protect World Heritage because it allows us to come together across borders, reinforcing our shared humanity and constructing a firm basis for those defenses of peace within the minds of people worldwide.”
He added that the theme of this forum “reminds us that you are not just the leaders of tomorrow — you are the changemakers of today.”
Lee Byung-hyun, chairperson of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, described young participants as “actors of change.”
“Your diverse perspectives, your mastery of innovation and your collaborative spirit are precisely what the World Heritage Convention needs to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” he said. “Your voice matters, your ideas matter.”
