Gochang looks to its past to build sustainable future

Gochang, a coastal county in North Jeolla Province long known for its dolmens and tidal flats, is positioning itself as a “sustainable world heritage city” and leveraging its cultural assets to confront depopulation and build a new model for rural development. The county holds multiple internationally recognized designations. Its dolmen, or stone tomb, site and tidal flats are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, while Ungok Wetland was designated under the Ramsar Convention in 2011. In addition, Gochang’s coastal area and the entire county have been recognized by UNESCO as a Global Geopark and Biosphere Reserve. Separately, in 2023, archives of the Donghak Peasant Revolution, which took place in the Gochang area in 1894, were added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. The county is also deeply rooted in traditional Korean culture, including pansori (musical storytelling) and nongak (community band music, dance and ritual), both listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. In a recent written interview with The Korea Times, Gochang County Mayor Shim Deok-seob sa

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