Jinyoung Lee, M.A.

I am a doctoral researcher at the HCCH. I majored in Intangible Heritage at Korea National University of Heritage, and at Korea University I wrote a master’s thesis in critical heritage studies titled “Heritagization Process of Civilian Massacre Sites in the Daejeon Area During the Korean War.” During my military service in 2019, I participated in the excavation of the remains of Korean War soldiers at Arrowhead Hill in the DMZ.

My research focuses on the management and interpretation of the DMZ and its World Heritage potential. In other words, I explore how it has been managed as heritage, how it has been interpreted by North and South Korea, and what constitutes its Outstanding Universal Value.

Unlike Germany’s Berlin Wall and Green Belt, the DMZ remains a place where the risk of war is still very high today. My goal as a heritage researcher is to transform it from a “military boundary” into a “peaceful bridge.”

• Conflict, War, and Peace Heritage
• Inclusive Heritage Interpretation
• Cultural Memory