South Gyeongsang Province is pursuing designation of Haman County as the region's first legally protected "historic city" (godo), seeking to preserve the legacy of the ancient Ara Gaya kingdom.
The provincial government announced Wednesday it will push for Haman's historic city designation under the Special Act on Preservation and Promotion of Historic Cities. South Gyeongsang, despite being a center of Gaya culture, currently has no designated historic cities.
Historic city status would unlock central government funding covering 70% of preservation costs and enable systematic development of Gaya historical and cultural assets.
Currently, five locations hold historic city status nationwide: Gyeongju for Silla, Gongju, Buyeo and Iksan for Baekje, and Goryeong for Daegaya. Haman is bidding to become the sixth.
Haman houses Korea's largest concentration of Gaya archaeological sites, with 194 documented locations according to a 2018 survey by the National Research Institute of Gaya Cultural Heritage. This exceeds Goryeong's 105 sites, as well as Changwon (178), Jinju (176), and Gimhae (161).
The county retains well-preserved evidence of an ancient capital, including the Marisan Tumuli, royal tombs, palace sites, and defensive structures. Scholars assess Haman as the best-preserved example of an Ara Gaya royal capital.
The province and county submitted an application to the Korea Heritage Service in October 2024 following a feasibility study in 2022. A revised application incorporating feedback from the central review committee is planned for March.
The proposed designation covers 4.26 million square meters across Gaya-eup and Haman-myeon, with 2.65 million square meters as a special preservation zone and 1.61 million square meters as a preservation-development zone.
Gimhae, center of the ancient Geumgwan Gaya kingdom, also plans to begin its historic city designation process in the second half of this year.
"We will concentrate policy resources to ensure our cultural heritage, including Haman's historic city designation and the Gaya Tumuli World Heritage Festival, becomes a competitive advantage for South Gyeongsang," said Jeong Yeong-cheol, director of the provincial Culture and Sports Bureau.
Seven Gaya tumuli sites—including five in South Gyeongsang at Gimhae Daeseong-dong, Haman Marisan, Changnyeong Gyo-dong and Songhyeon-dong, Goseong Songhak-dong, and Hapcheon Okjeon—were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in September 2023.
