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Korea Heritage Service enlists G-Dragon-backed foundation for UNESCO cultural push
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By
Lee Kyung-min
Published
Apr 27, 2026 3:17 pm
KST
Updated
Apr 27, 2026 3:26 pm
KST
Korea Heritage Service Administrator Huh Min, right, and Just Peace Foundation CEO Oh Hee-young hold up a partnership agreement at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Korea Heritage Service
Korea’s cultural authorities are turning to the philanthropic arm of the country’s pop-music machine to bolster its diplomatic standing, enlisting a foundation backed by K-pop star G-Dragon to help navigate a high-stakes gathering of world heritage leaders.
The Korea Heritage Service said Monday that it had entered into a formal partnership with the Just Peace Foundation, an organization established last year with the support of the musician, whose legal name is Kwon Ji-yong. The memorandum of understanding, signed Thursday at the National Palace Museum of Korea, aims to coordinate the hosting of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
The partnership represents a calculated attempt by Seoul to bridge the gap between its traditional statecraft and its modern soft power exports. Under the agreement, the foundation and its affiliates will participate in the summit and spearhead public-awareness campaigns for the UNESCO World Heritage Fund, an international purse used to protect and restore sites of "outstanding universal value."
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