On 15 June, at ICCROM headquarters in Rome, Italy, ICCROM signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Korea National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH, Director General Kim Yeonsoo), under the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), for the conservation and management of cultural and natural heritage.
ICCROM, established in Rome in 1959, is an advisory body to the World Heritage Committee (WHC). It serves as a research and capacity-building institution for international cooperation in the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. ICCROM operates various prestigious international capacity-building programmes in the field of heritage conservation. Currently, it has 137 member countries, including the Republic of Korea.
Both institutions plan to collaborate on activities that will be mutually beneficial, with a focus on the conservation and management of cultural and natural heritage, for the next five years until 2027. These activities include jointly hosting academic research and international conferences, collaborative planning and implementation of the CollAsia capacity-building programme, publishing Korean versions of ICCROM research results and documents, and exchanging publications and reports.
To ensure the implementation of the MoU, NRICH will promote its research capabilities, scientific expertise and human resources, accumulated since its establishment in 1969. Furthermore, it will strengthen the planning and operation of ICCROM's capacity-building programmes that are funded through the CHA's Funds in Trust (FIT). This will be an opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of the CHA FIT and increase visibility at the international level.
The expected outcomes – international academic conferences and the publication of ICCROM research results and documents in Korean – will provide an opportunity for Korean researchers and stakeholders in the field of heritage to understand international issues and share various research outcomes and interpretations presented by international organizations. Through these activities, it is expected that the influence of CHA and NRICH will be strengthened in the international fields of cultural and natural heritage conservation and management.
Jennifer Copithorne
ICCROM Communications
(+39) 0658553413
Kim Haengdeok
National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH)
Planning and Coordination Division
(+82) (042-860-9131)
Ji Sungjin
National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH)
Planning and Coordination Division
(+82) (042-860-9468)