Park pleased over UNESCO recognition

SEOUL, July 7 (Yonhap) -- President Park Geun-hye said Tuesday that she is pleased over the U.N. cultural agency's recent decision to designate several of South Korea's historic sites as world heritage sites. Her comment at a Cabinet meeting came three days after UNESCO added eight historic sites of South Korea's ancient Kingdom of Baekje to its world cultural heritage list. The newly registered sites include Gongsan-Seong Fortress of the Baekje Dynasty (18 B.C.-660 A.D.), located in what is now the city of Gongju, 160 kilometers south of Seoul. Park also said she is glad that a South Korean maritime expert was elected for the first time to head the International Maritime Organization. Earlier this month, Lim Ki-tack, president of Busan Port Authority, was elected to head the U.N. maritime agency. entropy@yna.co.kr (END)