Ambassador for UNESCO World Heritage Committee 2026: South Korean rapper and K-pop superstar G-Dragon (Kwon Ji-yong) was named the honorary ambassador for the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. It is a large international gathering that will take place in Busan, South Korea, from July 19 to July 29, 2026. The appointment was revealed on July 3rd by the Korea Heritage Service.
This will be the first time South Korea, a member of the World Heritage Convention since 1988, will host the UNESCO World Heritage Committee session.
According to the Korea Heritage Service, G-Dragon’s influence and work extends far beyond K-pop and was another key reason for his selection.
“We selected G-Dragon because his vision and work go far beyond K-pop and align with UNESCO’s efforts to spread peace and cooperation through culture,” stated the agency.
The agency also mentioned that the vision of G-Dragon’s public-interest foundation, JUSPEACE, whose motto is “small acts of participation can change the world and create peace” reflects UNESCO’s goals. Last year, he was the ambassador for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum which was held in Gyeongju and the artist even performed at the summit’s leaders’ dinner.
The honorary ambassador will serve as the main face for a series of promotional videos, public appearances, and awareness campaigns focused on “Peace through Culture and Participation”. A “Heritage in Peace” initiative will also be officially launched on July 10th with a collaboration between UNESCO and G-Dragon’s JUSPEACE Foundation.
The initiative aims to encourage public and private participation to protect world heritage sites across the globe, and any funds raised will be contributed to the UNESCO World Heritage Fund to preserve heritage threatened by war, climate change and natural disasters.
BTS Global Conference 2026: Experts to Discuss Hallyu’s Future After BTS Reunion
“It is a meaningful honor,” said G-Dragon on his new role as honorary ambassador. The K-pop icon will participate in various activities such as promotional videos and events, aiming to spread a message of “Peace through Culture and Participation.”
“World heritage is a common asset that all of humanity must protect together. We want to deliver a message of peace that many people can empathize with and act upon,” the artist’s representative stated on his behalf. G-Dragon emphasized that World Heritage belongs to all of humanity and hopes that this campaign will lead to global support and action on such message.
The 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee will be held in Busan from July 19 to July 29, 2026. The committee is UNESCO’s highest decision-making body for World Heritage matters, responsible for reviewing nominations for new World Heritage Sites and monitoring the conservation status of existing cultural and natural heritage locations across the globe.
Hosting the event marks a significant achievement for South Korea, which joined the World Heritage Convention in 1988 and is welcoming the committee to the country for the first time.
This website uses cookies.