The National Historical and Cultural Zone Promotion Agency, which will oversee the integrated management and utilization of Korea's nine designated historical and cultural zones, is expected to be established as early as next year.
On December 12, the office of Rep. Park Soo-hyun (Democratic Party of Korea) announced that the amendment to the "Special Act on the Maintenance of Historical and Cultural Zones," which Park introduced as the lead sponsor, passed the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee plenary session the previous day and now awaits only final approval from the main parliamentary session.
Rep. Park has spearheaded the legislative effort to establish the legal foundation for the National Historical and Cultural Zone Promotion Agency. The agency aims to consolidate research findings from Korea's nine designated historical and cultural zones at the national level and enable their systematic utilization.
Korea has designated nine historical and cultural zones—Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, Gaya, Mahan, Tamna, Jungwon, Yemaek, and Later Baekje—where surveys and research are ongoing. However, critics have pointed out the absence of an executive control tower to manage and utilize these resources in an integrated manner.
The Korea Heritage Service has been pursuing the establishment of such an institution under the name "East Asian Historical Cities Promotion Agency" since 2022. The project had stalled due to the lack of legal basis and concerns over local government financial burdens. A Korea Heritage Service official said, "If the related legislation passes the plenary session, we will coordinate with fiscal authorities and work to establish the promotion agency as early as next year."
The National Historical and Cultural Zone Promotion Agency plans to utilize the site in Gyuam-myeon, Buyeo-gun, South Chungcheong Province, where the East Asian Historical Cities Promotion Agency construction project was originally planned.
Rep. Park said, "This will be an opportunity for our history to move beyond academic papers and research labs to enrich our daily lives."