Exploring the Future Value of Intangible Heritage through Economic Activities

 – 2025 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage (17-18 September) 

at Jinkwansa, Seoul –

The 2025 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage to be held in Jinkwansa, Seoul, 17-18 September hosted by the Korea Heritage Service (Administrator: Huh Min) and organised by the InternationalInformationandNetworkingCenterforIntangibleCulturalHeritageintheAsia-PacificregionundertheauspicesofUNESCO (ICHCAP). The Forum will take place at the Jinkwansa in Seoul.
Now in its ninth edition, the Forum serves as a leading international academic platform in the Asia-Pacific region, sharing the current status of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) worldwide and exploring strategies for its safeguarding and transmission. This year’s Forum will welcome more than 19 ICH experts and representatives from 10countries, including participants from UNESCO and the World Bank.
The theme of the 2025 Forum is “Intangible Cultural Heritage and Economic Activities.” The discussions will examine the economic potential and social significance of ICH as it is increasingly integrated into diverse fields such as local economies, creative industries, and tourism. The Forum also aims to explore how communities can generate economic value from ICH in a sustainable way while ensuring its full preservation.
The two-day program will open with welcoming remarks by Dr. Huh Min, Administrator of the Korea Heritage Service, Government of the Republic of Korea, followed by a keynote speech from Dr. Ahmed Eiweida, Global Coordinator for Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Tourism at the World Bank, on “Integration of Cultural and Creative Industries into Local Economies”
Session 1: Exploring the Economic Value of Intangible Cultural Heritage will feature case studies from Timor-Leste, Hongkong, and Korea, presented by Joseph Lo (UNESCO International Consultant)with Kay Limak (Honorary Cultural Ambassador of Timor-Leste World Music),Anna Yau (Assistant Professor, Hong Kong Chu Hai College), and Hyunjeong Lee (Research Professor, Korea National University of Transportation).
Session 2: Community-Based Economic Activities and Sustainable Development will include presentations by Moe Chiba (Chief of Culture Unit, UNESCO Jakarta Office), Pauline Fan (Creative Director, Cultural Heritage Center, Malaysia), and Susan Keitumetse (Research Scholar, University of Botswana).
On 18 September,
Session 3: Ethical commercialisation of Intangible Cultural Heritage will feature presentations by Ananya Bhattacharya (Direc0tor, Banglanatak dot com, India), Eric Zerrudo (Executive Director, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Philippines), and Tomo Ishimura (Director of Intangible Heritage Division, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Japan).
In the afternoon, a Special Session, Local Perspectives: Economic Practices of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Korea will highlight domestic cases, with presentations by Wonseob Song (Associate Professor, Jeju National University), Donghwan Yun (Professor, Gyeongsang National University), and Chaelin Park (Principal Researcher, World Institute of Kimchi).
This year’s Forum is expected to provide a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the impact of ICH-based economic activities on local communities and cultures and to explore pathways for future development.
Pre-registration is available in advance through the Forum’s official website (https://ichworldforum.org), and on-site registration will also be open during the event.
Enquiries: Korea Heritage Service (Tel: +82-63-280-1692), ICHCAP (Tel: +82-63-230-9743, 9749).
The Korea Heritage Service will continue its active efforts to foster forward-looking discourse on cultural heritage and to strengthen international cooperation networks in the future.


Attachments
1. 2025 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage Programme
2. 2025 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage Programme Poster.