UNESCO has listed Jeju volcanic island and lava tubes as a World Natural Heritage Site, the first South Korean natural phenomenon on the list. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided to register them at its 31st session in Christchurch, New Zealand on Wednesday. The site covers some 188.4 sq. km - over 10 percent of Jeju Island's total size.
 |
|
Mt. Halla on Jeju Island. The Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes areas were registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site at a meeting in New Zealand on Wednesday. /Yonhap
|
 |
|
The listing has raised hopes of boosting tourism to the southern resort island. The head of Korea¡¯s Cultural Heritage Administration, Yoo Hong-joon, said the listing ¡°is better international publicity than we could get for 10 years' budgets.¡± Take the example of Vietnam¡¯s Ha Long Bay. The number of tourists was 236,000 in 1996, when it was registered as World Natural Heritage Site, but that rose to 1.5 million in 2005.
The CHA now plans to open a new position dedicated to natural heritage, with a budget to support it. There are some 162 World Natural Heritage Sites registered in 75 countries.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
