JAKARTA - K-pop star G-Dragon has been appointed as the honorary ambassador for the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan. The singer and rapper, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, will be the public face of the international meeting.
Citing a Yonhap report, Friday, July 3, South Korea hosted the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the first time. The meeting took place from July 19 to 29 in Busan, a port city in the southeast of South Korea.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is a forum that discusses the preservation and management of world heritage. Therefore, G-Dragon's appointment gives a pop culture touch to an agenda that is usually associated with diplomacy, history, and the preservation of valuable sites.
The Korea Heritage Service stated that G-Dragon was chosen because his global influence did not stop at K-pop. He is considered to have a strong footprint in the wider world of culture and art.
"G-Dragon is an artist with global influence that goes beyond K-pop to the wider realm of culture and art," the Korea Heritage Service said in a press release, Friday, July 3.
The agency also touched on G-Dragon's role in supporting public interest activities and raising social issues through art.
Yonhap also reported that this appointment placed G-Dragon as the public face of the UNESCO trial in Busan. The role is related to a campaign to invite the public to help preserve world heritage.
G-Dragon's representative stated that world heritage is a common asset that must be maintained across countries and generations.
"World heritage is a common asset that must be protected by all of humanity," said G-Dragon's representative.
He added that the campaign carries a message of peace and aims to encourage joint action to preserve the world's heritage.
This is not the first time that G-Dragon has received an honorary role in South Korea's international agenda. Last year, he became an honorary ambassador for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju.
During the APEC forum, G-Dragon appeared at the welcoming dinner for the leaders of the participants.
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