Baekdu Mountain was eventually registered by UNESCO under the Chinese name ‘Changbaishan Mountain’

Baekdu Mountain was registered as a UNESCO Global Geopark under the Chinese name ‘Changbai Mountain (長白山)’. Photo = Yonhap News

Baekdu Mountain was registered as a UNESCO Global Geopark under the Chinese name ‘Changbai Mountain (長白山)’.

According to the UNESCO website on the 28th, the previous day, the UNESCO Executive Committee included 18 candidate sites, including 6 geoparks in China, including Mt. Baekdu, as a World Geopark. As a result, the number of global geoparks increased to 213 in 48 countries.

Global Geoparks are designated to protect landmarks and landscapes of geological value and to promote sustainable development.

Currently, one quarter of all Baekdu Mountains belong to North Korea and three quarters belong to China. China applied to UNESCO in 2020 to certify part of its territory as a global geopark.

UNESCO said of Mt. Baekdu, “It is like an outdoor classroom of volcanic activity in the southeastern part of Jilin Province. It is the best-preserved volcano and a place to study the process of volcanic formation. At the summit, it is the largest and highest volcanic lake in Northeast Asia.” “Cheonji offers a magnificent view,” he said.

Academics and diplomats are raising concerns about Baekdu Mountain being registered as a global geopark as ‘Changbaishan Mountain’ and becoming an international name.

Lim Soo-seok, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing that day, “I understand that this approval was decided in accordance with related procedures in accordance with the geological protection value of Mt. Baekdu,” but added, “We will continue to monitor related trends.”

Immediately after the Executive Board’s decision, Ambassador Park Sang-mi expressed his position, saying, “Mt. Baekdu is a mountain that has a very important meaning to Koreans, and we look forward to the designation of the remaining unregistered parts as World Geoparks in the future.”

Meanwhile, Professor Seo Gyeong-deok of Sungshin Women’s University, who has consistently responded to China’s Northeast Project, emphasized on Facebook on the 29th, “The name of Mt. Baekdu must be preserved.”

Reporter Wonji Lee news21g@etnews.com