This catalog is based on 2016 exhibition of Baekje history and culture at the National Museum in Korea. The exhibition commemorated the first anniversary of the inscription of “Baekje Historic Areas” on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Ancient Korean culture flourished during the Three Kingdoms period. “Seokguram Grotto and Bulkuksa Temple” and “Gyeongju Historic Areas” of the Silla Kingdom were designed as UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1995 and 2000 respectively. Next were the Goguryeo Kingdom’s historic sites located in present-day China and North Korea, as they were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004 under the names of “Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom” and “Complex of Koguryo Tombs,” respectively. In 2015, following Silla and Goguryeo sites, “Baekje Historic Areas” was also placed on the World Heritage List.
Acknowledging Baekje’s cultural cosmopolitanism and ingenuity, UNESCO granted World Heritage status to its historic sites in Gongju, Buyeo and Iksan. Each of these historic areas has its own museum of Baekje artifacts - Gongju National Museum, Buyeo National Museum, and Iksan National Museum.