NRICH and ICCROM to Host Annual International Conference (July 13–14, Busan)

13. July : Cultural heritage driving social change

14.July : Investigation and monitoring of heritage using advanced technologies

On the occasion of hosting the 48th World Heritage Committee in Busan, the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH, Director General Lim Jong-deock), a branch institute of the Korea Heritage Service will co-host the annual NRICH-ICCROM International Conference with the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM, Director General Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral). The event will take place over two days, from Monday, July 13 to Tuesday, July 14, at the Ballroom of the Grand Josun Hotel in Busan (Haeundae-gu district), under the theme of "A Timeless Issues on Heritage".

The international conference is a collaborative activity based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between NRICH and ICCROM in June 2023 for the conservation and management of cultural heritage, marking its fourth edition this year. It is highly significant that, unlike the previous "World Archaeology International Conferences*" which primarily focused on major global archaeological sites, the event has been expanded starting this year into the "NRICH-ICCROM Annual International Conference," encompassing a broader range of fields including not only archaeology but also safety and disaster prevention, conservation and management to the heritage.

1st: "World Archaeology: Ancient Cities and Royal Capitals" (July. 2023)

2nd: "World Archaeology: Ancient Royal Tombs" (Oct. 2024)

3rd: "World Archaeology: Archaeology of Landfills" (Aug. 2025)

The main theme of this conference is "A Timeless Issues on Heritage." Specifically, through two sub-themes—"Cultural Heritage Driving Social Change" in archaeology and "Investigation and Monitoring of Heritage Using Advanced Technologies" in safety and disaster prevention, conservation and management—the event aims to discuss the social impact of heritage and the future of its conservation and management together with experts from around the world.

On the first day, July 13, the session will examine how cultural heritage does not remain in the past but functions and transforms within today's political, economic, and social environments, through various international case studies. Four thematic presentations will be given:

▲ Securing Antiquity: The Heritage of War and World Heritage (Lynn Meskell, University of Pennsylvania)

▲ Ships of Gold: Exploring the social and economic impacts of the protection and promotion of Buddhist Cultural Heritage in Nepal’s Greater Lumbini Area (Robin Coningham, Durham University)

▲ Heritage as an identity statement: Case studies from Swahili Coast of East Africa and Vietnam (George Abungu, Australian National University)

▲ The Evolution of the Buried Cultural Heritage Protection System and the Restructuring of Social and Administrative Structures: Focusing on the Transition from Ground Surface Surveys to Assessment of Impacts on National Heritage (Lee Jong-hoon, Korea Heritage Service)

On the second day, July 14, the session will focus on proactive measures to safeguard and monitor cultural heritage amidst recent crises such as climate change and rising disasters, by using advanced digital and space technologies as well as international standards. The day will feature one keynote speech and six thematic presentations:

▲ (Keynote Speech) Ethics, principles, and international standards for cultural heritage documentation, highlighting the connections among monitoring, management, and conservation (Rand Eppich, Consultant to ICCROM and UNESCO)

▲ Preventive Conservation and Monitoring System for State-Designated Architectural Heritage in Korea (Sim Myung-bo, NRICH)

▲ Turning Data into Conservation Action: Lessons from World Heritage Sites in a Changing Climate (Tales Carvalho, UNESCO)

▲ Monitoring Techniques and Applications for Architectural Heritage in Korea (Park Chan-min, NRICH)

▲ The ChemiNova project: Developing digital tools to assess and monitor damage to cultural heritage caused by climate change and armed conflict (Noémie Gabay, ICCROM)

▲ Monitoring of Stone Cultural Heritage Using Hyperspectral Imaging (Lee Myeong-seong, Kang San-Ha, NRICH; Ahn Yu-Bin, ENGUARD)

▲ Applications of space technology for monitoring and conservation of natural and cultural heritage (Shi Pilong, HIST)

Comprehensive panel discussions will follow the presentations on both days. On the 13th, Choi Jong-taek (The Korean Archaeological Society) will chair the session. On the 14th, Jo Sang-sun (NRICH), Jo Eugene (ICCROM, Programme Manager, World Heritage Leadership), and Cho Doo-won (ICOMOS, Board Member) will co-chair. At the discussion, participants will deeply explore how the authenticity and value of heritage have impacted our society and discuss new possibilities for heritage safeguard, conservation and management using advanced technologies.

Online registration for the conference is available via the QR code on the official poster. Further details can be found on the NRICH website and SNS (www.nrich.go.kr, Instagram '@nrichpr', YouTube '@nrichstory', etc.).

The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage under the Korea Heritage Service hopes that the international conference will serve as an opportunity to deeply reflect on the authenticity and value of heritage and open new horizons for its conservation through the integration of cutting-edge technologies. Furthermore, NRICH will continue to collaborate with ICCROM to ensure that Republic of Korea's major cultural heritage is investigated, conserved, and utilized amidst global attention.