Cultural Sphere of Modern Andong: From the Perspective of UNESCO's Universality and Diversity

This study explores the potential for the temporal and spatial expansion of Andong’s cultural heritage as a strategy for its creative transmission. Temporally, the study focuses on the transition of cultural traditions into the modern era. Around the 20th century, Confucian intellectuals in Andong not only pursued national independence but also sought to embody universal humanistic values by engaging with diverse ideologies such as Western liberalism, socialism, and communism. Spatially, the study advocates for a broader conceptualization of cultural community that encompasses the entire Andong region. Currently, UNESCO World Heritage sites in Andong, such as Hahoe Village and Dosanseowon, are designated in isolation. However, the region’s cultural heritage has evolved through mutual exchanges within a shared lived environment. It is therefore essential to examine the interconnections between registered and unregistered heritage sites in order to recognize Andong’s cultural landscape as an integrated whole eligible for future UNESCO inscription. This reframing does not aim to emphasize the particularity of Andong’s culture, but rather to highlight how its heritage embodies the outstanding universal value and cultural diversity promoted by UNESCO. By tracing Andong’s intellectual history from the Joseon Dynasty to the early modern period, this study presents the region as a compelling case that reflects UNESCO’s core principles of peace, cooperation, universality, and cultural diversity.