▲ Sung Yoo-hyun (L) competes against Panlugn Tubtimdang of Thailand in the men’s 68-kilogram final on the fifth day of the 2025 World Taekwondo Championships at Taihu International Expo Center in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China, Oct. 28, 2025. Photo courtesy of the World Taekwondo Federation. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Yonhap) -- 

Efforts are expected to gain momentum to have taekwondo inscribed as a jointly listed inter-Korean intangible cultural heritage of humanity under UNESCO.

 

According to the Korea Heritage Service on Monday, the Cultural Heritage Committee recently selected taekwondo as the next candidate for joint inscription or extended inscription on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

 

A Korea Heritage Service official said the government plans to submit an application to the secretariat of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in March.

 

 

▲ A foreign student takes part in a taekwondo club experience during the second-semester student club fair held at Ajou University in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 2, 2025. (Yonhap)

 

An internationally recognized martial art and sport, taekwondo has already been nominated by North Korea.

 

In March 2024, North Korea submitted an application under the title “Taekwon-Do, traditional martial art in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” and the nomination is currently under review.

 

For North Korea, the taekwondo bid marks its sixth attempt to secure UNESCO intangible cultural heritage status, following "Arirang" (2014), "Kimchi-making" (2015), "Ssireum wrestling" (2018, jointly listed with South Korea), "Pyongyang naengmyeon" (2022) and "Traditional clothing customs of the DPRK: traditional knowledge, skills and social practices" (2024).

 

When news of North Korea’s taekwondo nomination first emerged, the Korea Heritage Service said it had not discussed or pursued a joint listing at the government level and would provide support in accordance with domestic procedures.

 

Since then, however, the agency is known to have decided to pursue a joint listing following discussions with related organizations.

 

The Korea Heritage Service also stated in its recently released key policy plan for 2026 that it will work to have taekwondo inscribed as a joint inter-Korean intangible cultural heritage.

 

“Taekwondo is scheduled for review in December this year,” a Korea Heritage Service official said. “We will proceed with the application process while keeping all possibilities open.”

 

If successful, taekwondo would become the second item jointly inscribed by the two Koreas, following ssireum.

 

In 2018, at the 13th session of the UNESCO intangible heritage committee held in Port Louis, Mauritius, ssireum — separately nominated by South and North Korea — was jointly inscribed on the Representative List. Ahead of the scheduled review, the committee placed the joint inscription of ssireum on the agenda and approved it unanimously by all 24 member states.

 

At the time, the committee described the decision as “unprecedented,” noting that it was made “for peace and reconciliation.”

 

The outcome and direction of taekwondo’s inscription will be determined after the application is submitted.

 

Given the precedent set by ssireum, the Korea Heritage Service plans to first review the option of a joint inter-Korean listing for taekwondo at the December review.

 

However, in the case of ssireum, then-President Moon Jae-in discussed the joint listing plan with the UNESCO director-general, and the two Koreas submitted a joint letter requesting the inscription.

 

Depending on circumstances, other options may be considered, such as having North Korea listed first and later expanding the inscription to include South Korea.

 

The committee’s decision on North Korea’s taekwondo nomination is expected to be announced at the 21st session of the committee, scheduled to take place in Xiamen, China, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 5.

 

Meanwhile, South Korea currently holds 23 UNESCO intangible cultural heritage inscriptions, from "Jongmyo Jerye and Jongmyo Jeryeak" in 2001 to the most recently listed "Korean jang-making culture" in 2024.

 

This year, "traditional knowledge, skills and cultural practices related to hanji making" will seek inscription, while in 2028, "ginseng culture: a culture of caring for nature and family (community) and expressing gratitude" will be evaluated.

 

South Korea is classified as a country with a large number of intangible cultural heritage elements and therefore undergoes inscription reviews every two years.

 

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]