Work to have taekwondo inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity jointly by the two Koreas is expected to kick into full gear.
According to the Korea Heritage Service on the 19th, the Cultural Heritage Committee recently selected taekwondo as the next candidate for a joint inscription or an extension inscription to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Korea Heritage Service plans to submit the nomination file to the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (Intergovernmental Committee) in March.
Taekwondo is a martial arts sport recognized internationally. The latest UNESCO inscription push gathered steam after North Korea first submitted its application. In March 2024, North Korea applied for inscription under the title "Traditional Martial Art Taekwon‑Do of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," and the review process is now underway.
North Korea's latest bid to inscribe on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list is its sixth, following "Arirang" in 2014, "kimchi making" in 2015, "ssireum (Korean wrestling)" (joint inscription by the two Koreas) in 2018, "Pyongyang naengmyeon" in 2022, and "Korean clothing customs: traditional knowledge, techniques and social practices in North Korea" in 2024.
When news first broke of North Korea's application, the government took a cautious stance on whether to pursue a joint bid, saying, "The government has neither discussed nor pursued a joint inscription at the government level, and we will provide support in accordance with domestic procedures." It later shifted course to consider the possibility of a joint inscription after consultations with related organizations.
The Korea Heritage Service, in its recently released key work plan for 2026, also specified the push for a joint inscription of taekwondo by the two Koreas. If this bid succeeds, taekwondo would become the second case of a joint inscription by the two Koreas, following ssireum. At the time, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage decided unanimously among its 24 member states to inscribe ssireum, which had been submitted separately by the two sides. The committee called it "an unprecedented decision for peace and reconciliation."
The Korea Heritage Service plans first to review a plan in December this year to have taekwondo inscribed jointly by the two Koreas. Depending on circumstances, however, there remains the possibility that North Korea is inscribed on the Representative List first, followed by an extension inscription in which Korea participates.
Whether the taekwondo nominated by North Korea will be inscribed is slated to be decided at the "21st Intergovernmental Committee" to be held in Xiamen, China, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 5.
Meanwhile, Korea is categorized as a country with many elements of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and is reviewed for inscription every two years. Starting with "Jongmyo jerye and Jongmyo jeryeak" in 2001 through "Korea's jang making culture" last year, it holds a total of 23 elements of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This year, "traditional knowledge and techniques of hanji making" is up for review, and in 2028, "ginseng culture" is scheduled for evaluation.