President Lee Jae-myung delivers a congratulatory address at the opening ceremony of the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session held in Busan on the 19th. Yonhap News
President Lee Jae-myung on the 19th stressed that “based on the high power of culture, we will carry on Baekbeom’s vision of a nation that jointly protects humanity’s precious heritage and contributes to world peace and prosperity.”
Lee made the remarks in a congratulatory address at the “Opening Ceremony of the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee” held in Busan that day. “That the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is being held in the Republic of Korea this year, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Baekbeom Kim Koo, is surely no coincidence,” he said. “Decades ago, Baekbeom Kim Koo dreamed of a nation that contributes to humanity through the high power of culture rather than a wealthy and powerful nation,” Lee said. “He found the root of humanity’s misfortune within the human heart, and he emphasized that the only way to overcome it is culture itself.”
He continued, “The spirit of the UNESCO Constitution, that ‘the defenses of peace must be constructed in the minds of men,’ points to exactly the same place as the insight of Baekbeom Kim Koo, who sought to realize peace through culture and lead the harmony of humanity.” He added, “In solidarity with the world, we will build a more peaceful and more prosperous future for humanity together with UNESCO.” Lee concluded his address by saying, “I hope this session becomes a new milestone for the protection of world heritage and international cooperation.”