'G-Dragon Establishes' Jispace Foundation Kicks Off Major Public Campaign for World Heritage Fund

[E-Today / Reporter Jang Yujin]

(Photo courtesy of Galaxy Corporation)

Marking the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which will be held in Busan for the first time in the Republic of Korea, the Juspeace Foundation founded by G-Dragon will fully promote the global citizen campaign for world heritage protection, 'HERITAGE IN PEACE.'

In April, the Juspeace Foundation signed an agreement with the Korea Heritage Service and has been carrying out promotional activities to publicize the hosting of the World Heritage Committee. Starting this month, it will launch a citizen fundraising campaign for the World Heritage Fund under the cooperation of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

(Photo courtesy of the Juspeace Foundation)

This campaign aims, under the philosophy that 'protecting heritage is creating peace for the future,' to expand the voluntary participation and donations of citizens for the restoration of heritage damaged by war and climate disasters, as well as the protection of World Heritage sites at risk due to financial difficulties and urbanization.

In particular, the Juspeace Foundation plans to develop this project not as a simple fundraising campaign, but as a 'City Campaign' led by the host city. It proposes a new model of international civic movement in which citizens and businesses in the host city of the World Heritage Committee participate together to protect world heritage and carry that spirit forward to the next host city.

For this purpose, the foundation has launched a task force made up of private-sector experts and plans to expand participation nationwide, starting with Busan. The funds raised through the campaign will be delivered to the UNESCO World Heritage Fund through the Juspeace Foundation 'in the name of the citizens of Busan, the host city, and the people of the Republic of Korea.'

The first citizen participation program will be carried out with Modusign, a leading IT company in Busan. Starting on the 10th, the two sides will launch a donation campaign through an online petition of support to protect world heritage at risk, and it will be operated so that any citizen can take part.

This campaign will run for about one year, beginning with the 48th World Heritage Committee, which will be held in Busan this year, and aims to expand its meaning and participation to the city that will host the 49th World Heritage Committee next year.

Choi Yong-ho, chairman of the Juspeace Foundation, said, "Protecting world heritage goes beyond preserving the past; it is about safeguarding peace for future generations," adding, "We hope that the citizen participation model starting in Busan will spread as a new international cooperation model for the World Heritage Committee."

Meanwhile, the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee, to be held in Busan, is the first World Heritage Committee ever hosted by the Republic of Korea. It is a representative intergovernmental meeting of UNESCO that decides on the inscription and preservation policies of world heritage sites, and as issues surrounding the preservation of world heritage have recently emerged as a key agenda item in the international community amid war and the climate crisis, the significance of this year's Busan meeting stands out.

The Korea Heritage Service recently appointed G-Dragon as the promotional ambassador for the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The Juspeace Foundation said G-Dragon is expected to deliver a message conveying the importance of world heritage conservation and the need for citizen participation by attending the opening ceremony.

[E-Today / Reporter Jang Yujin([email protected])]