Traditional Korean wrestling listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage following unprecedented merged application from both Koreas
26 November 2018 – Republic of Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,
The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, meeting in Port Louis (Mauritius), has decided to inscribe traditional Korean wrestling, ssirum/ssireum, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, on the basis of a joint application by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea. “The fact that both Koreas accepted to join their respective applications is unprecedented,” declared Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO. “This would not have been possible without great trust in UNESCO on the part of all Korean authorities. The joint inscription marks a highly symbolic step on the ›››