Detail

This stamp issue commemorates the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which will be held in Busan from July 19 to 29. It has been designed with motifs from representative World Heritage sites of the Republic of Korea. In each separate stamp, it depicts “Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple,” which preserve the thousand-year history and artistic excellence of Silla, “Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea,” where traditions of spiritual practice and communal life remain vibrant, and “Gaya Tumuli,” which vividly convey the lives and beliefs surrounding death in the ancient Gaya civilization. The stamp margin features “Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream,” capturing prehistoric life and culture carved onto rock faces to complete the long, rich history of Korean cultural heritage on a single sheet. One of the first World Heritage sites inscribed for Korea in 1995, Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple consists of ancient Buddhist sites created during the Silla period. Seokguram, a stone grotto housing Buddhist sculptures, and Bulguksa, a temple, are recognized as masterpieces that demonstrate the outstanding architectural technology and the essence of Buddhist art achieved in 8th-century Silla. Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2018, Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea comprises seven temples, including Tongdosa, Buseoksa, Bongjeongsa, Beopjusa, Magoksa, Seonamsa, and Daeheungsa. These temples have sustained both tangible and intangible cultural traditions from the 7th century to the present day. Their exceptional value has been internationally recognized as comprehensive monastic communities where spiritual practice and everyday life coexist, extending beyond their role as places of faith. Inscribed in 2023, Gaya Tumuli consists of seven groups of burial mounds created by the ancient Gaya confederacies that existed from the 1st century to the mid-6th century. As tangible evidence of the Gaya civilization, which maintained a unique confederative political system while coexisting with the centralized ancient states that surrounded it, this heritage holds an important place in the study of ancient East Asian history. The Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream encompass both the Bangudae Petroglyphs in Daegok-ri, Ulju, and the Inscribed and Engraved Rock Art of Cheonjeon-ri, Ulju, both designated as National Treasures of Korea. Created over a span of approximately 6,000 years, from prehistoric times onward, these petroglyphs are invaluable records that illustrate the lives and artistic achievements of ancient peoples. In recognition of their outstanding value, they were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025. This commemorative stamp issue highlights the value of Korea’s cultural heritage, preserved across thousands of years, as a shared asset of humanity. May this commemorative stamp provide an opportunity to reflect on the true significance of cultural heritage and the stories it preserves, while encouraging appreciation of the precious values that all people share a responsibility to protect and pass on to future generations.