Background and objective: Byeolseo (別墅, Korean traditional private garden pavilions), created by seonbi (Confucian literati) during the Joseon dynasty, represent a distinctive typology within traditional Korean garden heritage. These byeolseo gardens embody a harmonious integration of nature-oriented spatial composition with poetry, prose, and commemorative inscriptions, expressing Confucian ideals of seclusion and self-cultivation. This study examined three byeolseo designated as Scenic Sites by the Korea Heritage Service—Soswaewon in Damyang, Yun Seon-do's Garden on Bogil Island (also known as Buyong-dong Garden), and Baegundong Garden in Gangjin. From an institutional perspective, it analyzed the structural principles that underpin their potential Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), the core criterion for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and assesses the feasibility of nomination as a serial property. Drawing on insights from both domestic and international World Heritage inscription cases, this study proposed a strategic framework to support the serial nomination of Joseon-period byeolseo.Methods: The analytical framework is grounded in the criteria for OUV as articulated in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, incorporating the key conditions of authenticity and integrity as well as the requirements for serial properties. In addition, a comparative analysis of existing serial World Heritage properties, both domestic and international, was undertaken to identify the relative value of byeolseo and to formulate strategies for articulating their distinctiveness as a unique cultural heritage typology.Results: Drawing upon evaluative structures derived from both domestic and international World Heritage inscription cases, an assessment framework was formulated in sequential order—criterion, attributes, supporting evidence, and interpretation. Application of this framework to the three byeolseo sites demonstrates that the evaluative procedure can be systematically repeated and interpreted with consistency. The three byeolseo share core characteristics grounded in Neo-Confucian ideals of reclusion, literary cultivation, and communion with nature, embodied in topography-responsive design principles centered on pavilions, waterways, and vegetation. At the same time, each site exhibits distinctive spatial strategies. Soswaewon presents a two-tiered composition structured along a stream flowing through a mountain valley; Baegundong Garden is organized around a meandering watercourse and the Twelve Scenic Views; and Buyong-dong Garden is composed around the Seyeonji Pond and articulated into three spatial zones. These attributes collectively meet multiple dimensions of authenticity as defined in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. Moreover, the functional and thematic complementarity among the three gardens reinforces the overall integrity required for inscription as a serial property. With regard to inscription criteria, Criterion (iii), which concerns exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition, appears most directly applicable. Criterion (v) may be partially relevant in light of the residential and creative functions embodied in certain sites. In addition, the typological value under Criterion (iv) and the literary and artistic associations recognized under Criterion (vi) are substantiated through comparative analysis with relevant international examples.Conclusion: The byeolseo sites exemplify the systematic integration of retreat culture, social interaction, and literary traditions of Joseon scholars within the spatial compositions. These attributes provide strong support for Criterion (iii), offering exceptional testimony to a living cultural tradition. Moreover, such characteristics underpin the fulfillment of OUV and the requirements for inscription as a serial property. The design ideologies, and literary practices documented in historical sources ensure thematic coherence across the three byeolseo gardens, while their complementary relationships establish a solid foundation for coordinated management and interpretive strategies post-inscription. For future World Heritage nomination, it is essential to broaden the range of component parts representing various byeolseo types, enhance the documentation-based verification system of their cultural values, and develop an integrated management model in collaboration with local communities. This study provides a theoretical basis to guide these strategic directions.
Lee et al. (Sat,) studied this question.