'S. Korea ignored North's 2023 offer for joint UNESCO taekwondo listing'
In 2023, despite freezing inter-Korean relations and heightened cross-border tensions, North Korea proposed a joint UNESCO heritage listing for taekwondo — only for the South Korean government to sit on the offer and miss a crucial window, according to a key advocacy leader. Choi Jae-chun, head of the KOREA Taekwondo UNESCO Promotion Committee, revealed Wednesday that Pyongyang suggested a…
In 2023, North Korea presented a joint UNESCO heritage listing proposal for taekwondo to South Korea, despite strained inter-Korean relations and heightened tensions, according to Choi Jae-chun, head of the KOREA Taekwondo UNESCO Promotion Committee. The North suggested a collaborative inscription, inspired by the successful 2018 UNESCO registration of ssireum, traditional Korean wrestling.
However, Choi revealed that the South Korean government's lack of response allowed North Korea to submit a standalone application, currently nearing final approval. This missed opportunity has raised concerns that Seoul is ceding historical leadership over its national martial art. Choi stated that North Korea reached out to him in 2023, amidst extremely strained inter-Korean relations, and Ri Yong-son, president of the North Korean-backed International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), conveyed the suggestion for filing separate applications first and merging them into a joint listing later.
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