PARIS — North Korea has independently submitted an application to list taekwondo as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), as shown on the UNESCO website on Friday. The North's application, lodged at UNESCO's headquarters in March, seeks to recognize taekwondo on the international ICH list, a move that diverges from ongoing discussions for a joint listing with South Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will review the application and make a decision in 2026. This submission by Pyongyang has raised concerns as it follows a previous agreement with South Korea aimed at a joint inscription of the martial art. Choi Jae-chun, the head of an organization pursuing the joint listing, expressed surprise over North Korea's unilateral move in a conversation with Yonhap News Agency, noting that both North and South Korean taekwondo bodies had previously agreed to collaborate on this initiative.
In 2018, discussions were held in Pyongyang between South Korea's World Taekwondo and North Korea's International Taekwondo Federation about cooperating to secure a place for taekwondo as a UNESCO intangible cultural asset. However, the Seoul-based Korea Heritage Service (KHS) later clarified that no government-level discussions had taken place between the two Koreas regarding a joint push. KHS emphasized that an earlier application or inscription does not confer exclusive cultural recognition for taekwondo.
North Korea currently has four items listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, including the traditional Korean wrestling called ssireum, which was successfully inscribed through a joint effort with South Korea, marking a historic collaboration between the two nations. The other listed items include the making of kimchi and the Arirang folk song.