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Unesco Global Geopark designation for South Korean islands halted after North files objection

Published: 22 May. 2025, 18:24

The area under consideration as a Unesco Global Geopark [INCHEON METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

The designation of a set of western border islands as a Unesco Global Geopark has been halted due to objections from North Korea, the Incheon metropolitan government said Thursday.

In November, the Incheon government submitted the islands of Baengnyeong, Daecheong and Socheong just south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) — the de facto maritime border with North Korea — to the UN body for consideration as a Unesco Global Geopark.

On Monday, however, North Korea filed a written objection with Unesco for reasons that are yet unknown, the local government said.

Unesco halts all scientific assessments of candidate sites when an objection is raised and requires the member states in question to resolve the issue among themselves.

"The reasons for North Korea's objections have not been disclosed, but there's a high possibility it is intended to deny the NLL, which is clearly our maritime territory," Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said during a press conference.

"We will determine the reasons for the objection in cooperation with the government and look for diplomatic solutions," he added. "If necessary, I am open to meeting with North Korean officials and discussing a solution to this issue."

North Korea has never recognized the NLL, demanding that it be redrawn farther south. The maritime border has seen a series of bloody naval clashes between the two Koreas.

Yonhap