Key Summary
- North Korea’s taekwondo is expected to be listed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list as a solo nomination.
- Heritage Administration Commissioner Heo Min said the previous Yoon Suk Yeol government bore responsibility for not taking separate action when North Korea filed its application in 2024.
- Heo said the current government met taekwondo-related organizations and held three meetings with the UNESCO director-general after he took office in July last year.
- South Korea was able to submit its own nomination in March after consultations with five taekwondo organizations.
- The Heritage Administration said UNESCO informed Seoul in August that the conditions for a joint inscription were not met.
- The final decision is due at the 21st session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Xiamen, China, from November 30 to December 5.
Main Story
South Korea’s Heritage Administration is facing pressure after reports that North Korea’s taekwondo is likely to be approved by UNESCO as a standalone entry on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Commissioner Heo Min said the previous administration should be held responsible because, in his view, no meaningful response was taken when North Korea submitted a separate application in 2024. Speaking to reporters on September 9 at the repair site of Donhwamun Gate at Changdeokgung in Seoul, Heo said the Yoon Suk Yeol government had not carried out any activity on the matter. He then pointed to efforts under the current administration, saying he met taekwondo-related groups immediately after taking office in July last year and held three meetings with the UNESCO secretary-general.
Heo said those efforts led to consultations with five organizations — the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation, Kukkiwon, the Korea Taekwondo Association, the Korea Taekwondo UNESCO Promotion Group, and the Jeonbuk Gyeorugi Taekwondo Preservation Association — which allowed the South Korean government to file its own taekwondo nomination in March.
Even so, UNESCO appears to have concluded that a joint inscription is not possible at this stage. According to the Heritage Administration, UNESCO sent a letter to the South Korean government in August saying that the conditions for a joint taekwondo inscription were not currently satisfied. The administration also said the letter indicated that broader discussion, including possible expansion listing, could be considered depending on North Korea’s consent and the outcome of this year’s review of North Korea’s taekwondo nomination.
Heritage officials noted that when an intangible heritage element exists in more than one country, those countries must jointly submit a nomination to be placed on the representative list. Heo rejected suggestions that a decision against joint listing had already been reached, saying that South Korea worked on three tracks for a year: joint inscription, expanded inscription, and standalone inscription.
He also said UNESCO had expressed willingness to play a substantial role regarding the Korean Peninsula, which remains the world’s only divided nation, but added that no response had been received from the North side during the process.
The Heritage Administration said it is also considering expanded inscription after North Korea’s listing, which would involve revising the scope or content of the heritage element. However, it stressed that this would also require the other country’s agreement first, making the option difficult to pursue.
The final status of North Korea’s taekwondo will be decided at the 21st session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, scheduled to take place in Xiamen, China, from November 30 to December 5.
Background
The supplied text states that intangible heritage shared by more than one country generally requires a joint nomination for UNESCO’s representative list. Beyond that, no additional background was provided.
Items Requiring Further Verification
- Heo Min’s attribution of responsibility to the Yoon Suk Yeol government is a political claim and reflects his interpretation.
- The report says UNESCO’s August letter stated that the conditions for joint inscription were not met; the full wording and context of that letter are not included in the supplied text.
- The statement that UNESCO may allow discussion of expanded inscription depending on North Korea’s consent is presented through the Heritage Administration and is not shown directly from UNESCO.
- The article says North Korea’s taekwondo is “expected” to be inscribed, but the final decision has not yet been made.
- Claims about UNESCO’s willingness to play a significant role and about the North side’s lack of response are attributed to Heo and should be independently confirmed.