G-Dragon Named UNESCO World Heritage Committee Ambassador for Busan Session

G-Dragon, the South Korean artist whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, has been appointed honorary ambassador for the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session to be held in Busan in July 2026. The Korea Heritage Service announced the G-Dragon UNESCO role on July 3, linking the appointment to the upcoming session and a citizen-participation campaign focused on protecting world heritage through peace and public engagement.¹

The appointment places the musician at the center of promotional activity for the World Heritage Committee meeting, which will bring international heritage officials and related participants to Busan. The session is scheduled around an opening ceremony on July 19, followed by committee proceedings from July 20 to July 29, 2026, according to UNESCO.²

G-Dragon UNESCO Role Centers on Busan World Heritage Session

The Korea Heritage Service said G-Dragon will support the Heritage in Peace campaign through promotional videos and events connected to the 48th World Heritage Committee session. Yonhap News Agency reported that funds raised through the campaign are to be directed to the World Heritage Fund for sites threatened by conflicts, climate change and natural disasters.¹

The official host-country website for the 48th Session of the World Heritage Committee lists the event for July 19-29, 2026, at BEXCO in Busan, with the Korea Heritage Service and the UNESCO World Heritage Convention identified as official organizers shown on the site.³

The Korea Heritage Service described G-Dragon as “an artist with global influence extending beyond K-pop into the broader cultural and arts sphere,” explaining the choice of an ambassador whose public profile extends internationally.¹ A representative for G-Dragon said, “World heritage is a shared asset that must be protected by all humanity,” according to the agency statement reported by Yonhap.¹

Korean media reports also connected the appointment with G-Dragon’s JusPeace Foundation. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that G-Dragon founded the JusPeace Foundation after donating copyright proceeds in 2024 and serves as its honorary chair.⁴ NewsPim reported that the foundation plans to launch the Heritage in Peace citizen-participation campaign with UNESCO on July 10, 2026, under a theme of peace through culture and participation.⁵

Korea Hosts Committee Meeting for First Time

The Busan session carries additional significance for South Korea because it marks the country’s first time hosting the World Heritage Committee. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that Korea is hosting the committee 38 years after joining the World Heritage Convention in 1988.⁴

YTN reported that the Korea Heritage Service linked the JusPeace Foundation’s values of participation and peace with UNESCO’s goal of international cooperation for peace. The same report said G-Dragon’s side viewed the role as meaningful because the committee is being held in Korea for the first time.⁶

The World Heritage Committee is responsible for major decisions concerning UNESCO World Heritage sites, including new inscriptions and monitoring the condition of properties already on the list. UNESCO said the 48th session in Busan is scheduled to examine nominations for 30 new World Heritage List sites, proposals concerning three listed sites and the conservation status of 147 already inscribed sites.²

UNESCO also said the meeting will be streamed online and that journalists can register for press credentials. The official host-country website separately says live coverage is planned, although its livestream section is marked as coming soon.²³

Heritage in Peace Campaign Adds Public Participation Focus

The Heritage in Peace campaign is the main public-facing activity tied to G-Dragon’s ambassador role in the available reports. NewsPim reported that he is expected to appear in campaign promotional videos and on-site events, while Yonhap said the campaign’s fundraising will support the World Heritage Fund for vulnerable heritage sites affected by conflict, climate change and natural disasters.⁵¹

A representative for G-Dragon, quoted in Korean by Kyunghyang Shinmun, said he wants to deliver “a message of peace that many people can relate to and act on together.”⁴ The comment aligns with the campaign’s stated citizen-participation format, but the sources provide no additional details on specific public events beyond promotional videos, on-site activity and the July 10 launch plan.

The appointment also creates a bridge between an international heritage forum and a Korean cultural figure known outside the heritage policy field. The available source material does not describe the role as a permanent UNESCO ambassadorship; it identifies G-Dragon specifically as an honorary ambassador or ambassador for the 48th World Heritage Committee session in Busan.

The Busan meeting will open on July 19, 2026, before the committee’s July 20-29 proceedings at BEXCO. G-Dragon’s role, as described by the Korea Heritage Service and Korean media reports, is to promote the session and the Heritage in Peace campaign while drawing wider attention to world heritage protection.

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