The eighth Regional Secretariat of OWHC for Asia and the Pacific was established in November 2013, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea.
It was recommended at the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Mayors’ Forum for World Heritage Cities held in August 2012 in Gyeongju and endorsed by the OWHC’s Board of Directors in May 2013.

Gyeongju was the capital of Silla Dynasty for 1,000 years(BC57~AD935). As one of the ancient historic cities in Asia, three World Heritage sites were on the UNESCO’s List.

• Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple(1995, i, iv)
• Gyeongju Historic Area(2000, ii, iii)
• Historic Village of Yangdong(2010, iii,iv,v,vi)

Mayor of Gyeongju stated that Asia and the Pacific area is the cradle of world civilizations and accordingly it is our duty to preserve the outstanding values of cultural and historic sites for next generations.