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Heritage Service unveils Jongmyo-inspired Unesco World Heritage Committee emblem

Published: 25 Mar. 2026, 15:50 Updated: 25 Mar. 2026, 21:20

The official emblem of the 48th session of the Unesco World Heritage Committee [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]

The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) on Wednesday unveiled the official emblem of the 48th session of the Unesco World Heritage Committee in Busan in July, inspired by the roof of Jongmyo Shrine’s main hall.

The emblem features a bold horizontal brushstroke that reflects the long roofline of Jongmyo’s Jeongjeon Hall, a 101-meter-wide (331-foot-wide) wooden structure from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The emblem takes the shape of a traditional roof, made of the curved clay tiles ubiquitous in Korean architecture.

“The design captures the unique curvature of Jongmyo’s roof, which stretches out in a stately form, symbolizing the Joseon royal rituals and traditional architecture that have continued for more than 600 years in central Seoul,” the KHS said.

Located in Jongno District, central Seoul, the structure served as a royal ancestral shrine where people held memorial rites for kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire (1897-1910).

The site was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage site in 1995 along with Seokguram Grotto and Bulguk Temple, a historic Buddhist complex, and the Tripitaka Koreana at Haein Temple, a collection of more than 80,000 wooden printing blocks of Buddhist scripture.

Jeongjeon Hall, Jongmyo Shrine’s main building, houses spirit tablets of former rulers including King Taejo, whose given name was Yi Seong-gye, who ruled the Joseon Dynasty from 1392 to 1398.

The Jongmyo Shrine is seen in central Seoul on Nov. 18, 2025. [YONHAP]

The KHS said the emblem conveys the themes of continuity, peace and collaboration.

The agency noted that the design highlights continuity across generations through the preservation of heritage, reflects Jongmyo’s role as a place for honoring ancestors and conveys a message of international cooperation by bringing people together under one roof.

The KHS will release a promotional video featuring the emblem next month and develop related content including souvenirs.
The World Heritage Committee is a group of governments that decides on the inscription, protection and management of World Heritage sites.

This year’s session will start on July 19 and run through July 29 at Bexco in Busan. Korea will host the event for the first time since it joined the World Heritage Convention in 1988.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KANG HYE-RAN [[email protected]]