North Korea’s nomination of taekwondo for UNESCO listing expected to go through

SEOUL – North Korea is expected to secure the inclusion of the Korean martial art taekwondo on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2026.The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage’s evaluation body recommended on Nov 5 that North Korea’s nomination be inscribed on the list.Huh Min, head of the Korea Heritage Service, had hinted at the announcement on Nov 2 in a post on his social media channel.The UNESCO committee, which makes the final decisions on inscriptions, reviews nominations submitted by member states through an evaluation body composed of intangible heritage experts and representatives of nongovernmental organisations.After examining each nomination, the evaluation body issues one of three recommendations: to “inscribe” a nomination, to “refer” it for additional information or to “not inscribe” it. Such recommendations are rarely overturned by the committee.North Korea submitted its nomination, titled Taekwon-Do, Traditional Martial Art In The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in March 2024.South Korea filed its own nomination in 2026 after considering the possibility of a joint inscription with the North.The Korea Heritage Service said in its major policy plans for 2026 that it would pursue a joint inscription of taekwondo by the two Koreas.A South Korean inclusion could still go ahead even if Pyongyang’s listing is confirmed.The final decision is expected at the committee’s 21st session, scheduled for December in Xiamen, China. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK