This undated file photo shows the crater lake at Mount Paekdu, the highest peak on the Korean Peninsula. Korea Times file

The Chinese part of Mount Paekdu has been listed as one of UNESCO's new global geoparks in the name of "Mount Changbaishan," the U.N. cultural agency's website showed Thursday.

UNESCO's Executive Board has endorsed the addition of 18 sites to the UNESCO Global Geoparks network, bringing the number of geoparks to 213 in 48 countries, according to the website.

"Located in the southeast Jilin Province, Mount Changbaishan UNESCO Global Geopark is like an open-air classroom for volcanism, with dramatic landforms and diverse rock types that document significant multiphase eruptions," it said.

During a regular press briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said South Korea will continue to keep a close eye on relevant efforts.

He stressed that Mount Paekdu holds "great significance" in the hearts of Koreans and voiced expectation for the rest of the mountain to be designated as a global geopark, citing comments by South Korean ambassador to UNESCO Bak Sang-mee.

In 2020, China applied for Changbai Mountain, considered to be Chinese territory in the Mount Paekdu region, to be listed as a UNESCO Global Geopark.

Mount Paekdu, the highest peak on the Korean Peninsula, lies on the border between North Korea and China, with around 55 percent of the crater lake in North Korean territory. (Yonhap)