The contemporary Korean society has reached the stage where it can upgrade its national status
one step further in cultural aspect to comply with its increased economic force. In this context, each
autonomous local government has been endeavoring to build up its own cultural identity and to
develop touristic goods as part of attempts to promote its dignity and competitiveness by making use
of cultural heritages. Preservation and development of ancient capitals and their designation as world
cultural heritages to discuss in this paper are some of the projects aimed at preparing for the 21st
century when culture is expected to become a major force in competition.
Gongju, Buyeo and Iksan, capital cities of Baekje Kingdom, were all designated in 2004 as ancient
capitals together with Gyeongju of Shilla Kingdom, and are currently administered under the “Law for
Preservation and Subsidy of Ancient Capitals”. Since 2006, a movement was initiated in each of these
three regions to be designated as the world cultural heritage respectively and, from 2011 onwards, a
unified effort has undergone to have the three regions designated as a world cultural heritage under the
name ‘Baekje Cultural Heritage’.
In order to complete the project of preservation and development of ancient capitals successfully,
it seems necessary to consult experts in a wide spectrum and to draw concerns from not only the
residents of the surrounding communities but also all the people across the country. Besides, it is
also needed to make efforts to comprehensively reflect the identity and historical as well as cultural
messages the ancient capitals might present in the progress of the project.
The first and most important step for designation as world cultural heritages would be to select the
candidates for them. In this connection, cultural heritages of Gongju, Buyeo and Iksan as ancient
capitals should be examined to determine the historical and cultural characteristics and features of
Baekje since its middle age. It is therefore foremost essential to reveal completeness and genuineness
of the relics remaining from ancient capitals in these regions by exploring their complementary
relationship with one another.
It should be remembered, lastly but not least, that the project of preservation and development of
ancient capitals and designation as world cultural heritages should neither be an end itself nor be
politically victimized. It should instead be labored to make use of the project as a medium to create
a place of communication and unity for the residents, encouraging them to become well aware of the
real value of cultural heritages they have. In this sense, the approach toward the project in a genuine
manner could be the only way to hand over to our descendents the cultural heritages in undamaged
shape and state.