UNESCO field inspection under way at geopark on southeastern coast

An on-site assessment to review the possible designation of a geopark on the country's southeastern coast as a UNESCO global geopark is under way, officials said Thursday. The four-day field inspection, set to run through Sunday, will cover some 2,693 square meters of Gyeongbuk Donghaean Geopark spread across the southeastern cities and counties of Pohang, Gyeongju, Yeongdeok and Uljin, according to the office of North Gyeongsang Province. Since the area was designated as a national geopark in 2017, the province has sought to conserve it while promoting tourism and education with the local community. In November, the province submitted an application for the geopark to be designated as a UNESCO global geopark. The preliminary result of the field inspection will be announced at a regional UNESCO board meeting scheduled for September. The final result will be made public at a UNESCO general meeting set to take place in Paris in 2025. UNESCO global geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development, according to UNESCO's web site. As of April, there were 213 geoparks in 48 countries. Source: Yonhap News Agency