In the first week of August, the Director-General of ICCROM, Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral took part in the World Archaeology: Archaeology of Landfills International Conference held in Seoul, Republic of Korea co-organized by ICCROM, the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH), under the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), and brought together experts from Korea, Italy, Mexico, Spain and United States, to explore how waste – from Neolithic shell middens to modern industrial sites – can yield valuable archaeological data and inform sustainable heritage management.
“Landfills bear witness to our patterns of consumption and our evolving relationship with the environment. They challenge us to connect and interpret the physical traces of our daily lives and place them in a broader economic, political and cultural context – stated Director-General Gujral in her keynote address – it is data, and it is heritage, and it can be a catalyst for transformative change".
She further emphasized the relevance of ICCROM’s new vision CARE: Conserve, Activate, Recognize and Engage in connecting archaeological data with society, science and sustainability.
This symposium marked the third joint initiative since the ICCROM–NRICH Memorandum of Understanding in 2023. The event featured case studies from various countries and concluded with an open dialogue on the evolving role of archaeology in the 21st century.
Strengthening institutional partnerships
The conference was also an opportunity for ICCROM to reinforce its long-standing partnerships in the Republic of Korea
With the Korea Heritage Service (KHS)
In discussions with Administrator Min Huh, Director-General Gujral reaffirmed ICCROM’s strong collaboration with KHS. The conversation focused on scaling up the already solid partnership to address emerging priorities such as digital technology for heritage management, integrating nature and culture in conservation, climate action based on AI models, intangible heritage, and the creative economy. Opportunities for capacity building projects through Korea’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Asia-Pacific and Africa were also explored.
With NRICH
The Director-General of ICCROM was warmly welcomed by Mr Jong-Deock Lim, the Director-General of NRICH, at their Headquarters in Daejeon. The two Director-Generals held a meeting underscoring the very positive and mutually beneficial ongoing collaboration and discussed concrete actions to deepen ties through joint initiatives.
The ICCROM delegation toured NRICH’s conservation laboratories specializing in paper, stone, wood, mural conservation and carbon dating. The visit reaffirmed the organizations’ partnership, further consolidated by the co-organization of the landfill archaeology symposium. Both sides committed to expanding cooperation through field projects, training and scientific knowledge exchange.
With the Korea National University of Heritage (KNUH)
At KNUH, the Director-General met with President, Mr Kang Kyung-Hwan, along with professors and students, recognizing the university’s valuable collaboration with ICCROM through student internships and alignment with the World Heritage Leadership programme. The visit highlighted KNUH’s expertise in digital archives of heritage assets and applied research for conservation, as well as explored the possibility of a joint course on digital tools for heritage and collections management.
With WHIPIC
The Director-General also met with Mr Chang-nam Hong, Director General of WHIPIC, the International Centre for the Interpretation and Presentation of World Heritage Sites (a UNESCO Category 2 Centre). During the meeting, it was discussed how to strengthen and formalize cooperation in World Heritage capacity building, joint research, training activities, projects in the Global South and exchange of fellows and interns, while ensuring alignment with the global Capacity-Building Strategy.
Cultural engagements
The mission also included visits to the National Palace Museum of Korea, where the Director-General met its Director, Professor Chung Yong-ja, a former ICCROM Council member, as well as the Gongpyeong Historic Sites Museum, Changdeokgung Palace, and Gilsangsa Temple. These visits highlighted Korea’s rich cultural heritage and further deepened institutional and cultural ties.
Looking ahead
The mission concluded with congratulations to the Republic of Korea for hosting the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2026. ICCROM reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the World Heritage Site Managers’ Forum and the Capacity-Building Strategy agenda, both central to its mandate under the World Heritage Convention.
ICCROM Director-General warmly thanked Korean Government Officials and Partners for their warm hospitality and for the very constructive and inspiring meetings leading to an even more strategic and programmatic partnership in the coming months.
ICCROM and the Republic of Korea are committed to jointly advancing innovative, collaborative and people-centred approaches to heritage conservation towards long-term development and meaningful impact.
