N. Korea set for solo UNESCO taekwondo listing as S. Korea misses joint bid

North Korea’s taekwondo nomination is expected to receive a UNESCO expert recommendation, with a final decision scheduled in Xiamen, China, Nov. 30 to Dec. 5. South Korea’s delayed attempt to pursue a joint listing has drawn criticism, and Pyongyang has not responded to outreach. The Korea Heritage Service says North Korea’s inscription would not prevent South Korea from seeking its own listing, which could emphasize taekwondo’s culture of mental and physical discipline.

North Korea submitted its application, titled Taekwon-Do, traditional martial art in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in March 2024.

South Korea submitted its application in March this year after the Korea Heritage Service selected hanji over taekwondo as its primary candidate for the 2026 review cycle in 2023.

The Korea Heritage Service said countries with extensive UNESCO listings are effectively limited to evaluations once every two years.

South Korea and North Korea jointly inscribed ssireum, traditional Korean wrestling, in 2018.

World Taekwondo Secretary General Seo Jeong-kang said exchanges with the International Taekwon-Do Federation had completely ceased since 2019.

Published Nov 3, 2026 4:34 pm KST

Updated Nov 3, 2026 8:19 pm KST

Pyongyang unresponsive to Seoul's belated proposal for joint inscription

South Korean service members perform a joint military-civilian taekwondo demonstration for the 77th Armed Forces Day ceremony at Gyeryongdae in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, in 2025. Korea Times file

South Korea, which led the global spread and modernization of taekwondo, is facing criticism over its delayed UNESCO listing effort, letting North Korea take the lead for the sport's early registration on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Although North Korea's listing does not block South Korea's move for its separate listing of the martial art, criticism is rising over Seoul's belated attempt to seek a co-listing with Pyongyang, which has remained unresponsive.

According to a social media post on Monday by Huh Min, head of the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), North Korea’s application — titled "Taekwon-Do, traditional martial art in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" — is expected to receive a recommendation for inscription following an evaluation by UNESCO experts.

While an evaluation body's recommendation is technically an advisory step, such assessments almost always lead to inscription. The final decision will be made during the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, scheduled to take place in Xiamen, China, Nov. 30 to Dec. 5.

Though taekwondo shares identical historical roots across the Korean Peninsula, it has evolved into two distinct styles over the decades. South Korea has popularized the World Taekwondo framework globally, focusing on Olympic sports competition, electronic scoring and protective gear.

North Korean practitioners take part in a technical Taekwondo training workshop in Pyongyang to mark the 55th anniversary of the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) in this 2021 file photo released by the Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

In contrast, North Korea adheres to the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) style, which places a stronger emphasis on traditional martial arts discipline, intricate forms and direct strikes using hands and feet.

North Korea submitted its solo application in March 2024, spotlighting its ITF martial arts traditions. In contrast, the South Korean government delayed its submission until March this year while exploring the feasibility of a joint North-South listing.

"Due to strained South-North relations and other reasons, a joint listing is effectively very difficult," Huh wrote. "I deeply regret this."

In 2018, the two Koreas achieved a joint inscription for ssireum, traditional Korean wrestling.

Explaining South Korea's delay in both its own listing effort and the joint one, KHS spokesperson An Ho cited domestic selection procedures and UNESCO's strict review quota system.

"We attempted to pursue a joint inscription with North Korea through diplomatic channels involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Unification. However, feedback from UNESCO evaluation committee members signaled that a joint bid would be difficult to realize," An said.

"As the nation that spread taekwondo around the globe, it is admittedly disappointing."

An further explained that UNESCO limits the number of annual submissions per country, prioritizing nations with fewer registered items.

"Compared to North Korea, South Korea has significantly more items to register on the UNESCO list," An said. "During internal selection processes, taekwondo was pushed back in priority."

Countries like South Korea with extensive listings are effectively limited to evaluations once every two years. In 2023, the KHS selected "hanji" (traditional Korean paper-making culture) over taekwondo as its primary candidate for the 2026 review cycle, submitting the application in March 2024. Consequently, the agency was unable to add taekwondo promptly when it learned North Korea applied for it.

"After North Korea applied, the sentiment grew that both Koreas should ideally share the recognition because taekwondo is a core national sport in the South," An added. "That led us to hastily submit our application for a joint listing later."

Despite the setback, the KHS emphasized that a prior inscription by North Korea does not confer exclusive ownership or a legal monopoly over taekwondo.

Potential future steps include efforts to expand the North's listing to include South Korea if Pyongyang agrees, or to secure an independent listing for South Korea.

The agency highlighted potential avenues moving forward, including expanding the North's listing to include South Korea if Pyongyang agrees, or securing an independent listing for South Korea.

"North Korea’s application focuses on taekwondo as a martial art, whereas our application emphasizes its culture of mental and physical discipline," An said. "Because the cultural values emphasized are distinct, an independent listing remains viable."

The official added that UNESCO's intangible heritage system aims to promote cultural diversity rather than grant exclusive rights. Similar precedents exist: The folk song "Arirang" was registered separately by South Korea in 2012 and North Korea in 2014, while the culture of kimjang (kimchi-making) was inscribed by the South in 2013 and the North in 2015.

Lee Jun-yong, deputy director of the World Heritage Division at the KHS, noted that efforts to engage Pyongyang remain stalled.

"We understand there has been no response from the North Korean side," Lee said. "We will continue pushing for an expanded joint inscription through remaining channels. However, if North Korea remains unresponsive, we will restart internal open call procedures to pursue an independent listing."

International and domestic taekwondo organizations have maintained a cautious stance on the matter.

World Taekwondo said that as an international governing body, it is difficult to express an official position on behalf of any single nation.

"Although we previously maintained exchanges with North Korea — such as staging joint performances during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics — through communication channels with the ITF in Vienna, all exchanges have completely ceased since 2019," Secretary General Seo Jeong-kang said.

Shin Sung-il, secretary general of the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation, said, "As this is a state-led initiative, it is difficult for us to issue a statement. We plan to discuss our response with relevant government agencies."

朝鲜跆拳道的申报预计将获得联合国教科文组织专家的建议，最终决定将于11月30日至12月5日在中国厦门做出。韩国此前迟迟未能提交联合申报申请，引发批评，平壤方面也未对相关问询作出回应。韩国文化遗产服务处表示，朝鲜的申报不会妨碍韩国独立申报，韩国的申报可能会更突出跆拳道所蕴含的精神和体能训练文化。

朝鲜于 2024 年 3 月提交了申请，申请名称为“跆拳道，朝鲜民主主义人民共和国的传统武术”。

今年 3 月，韩国提交了申请。此前，韩国文化遗产服务中心在 2023 年将韩纸而非跆拳道选为 2026 年审查周期的主要候选项目。

韩国文化遗产服务中心表示，拥有大量联合国教科文组织世界遗产的国家实际上只能每两年接受一次评估。

2018年，韩国和朝鲜共同将韩国传统摔跤“ssireum”列入世界纪录。

世界跆拳道秘书长徐正康表示，自 2019 年以来，世界跆拳道与国际跆拳道联盟的交流已经完全停止。

发布于2026年11月3日下午4:34（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年11月3日晚上8:19（韩国标准时间）

平壤对首尔姗姗来迟的共同建国提议没有回应

2025年，在韩国忠清南道鸡龙市鸡龙台举行的第77届韩国建军节仪式上，韩国军人与平民联合表演跆拳道。（韩国时报资料图）

韩国引领了跆拳道的全球传播和现代化，但因其延迟将跆拳道列入联合国教科文组织非物质文化遗产名录的努力而受到批评，这使得朝鲜抢占了先机，率先将这项运动列入非物质文化遗产名录。

尽管朝鲜的列入并未阻止韩国单独将该武术列入国际武术名录，但首尔姗姗来迟地寻求与平壤共同列入名录的做法正受到越来越多的批评，而平壤方面一直没有回应。

据韩国文化遗产服务处（KHS）负责人许敏周一在社交媒体上发帖称，朝鲜提交的申请——题为“跆拳道，朝鲜民主主义人民共和国的传统武术”——在联合国教科文组织专家评估后，有望获得列入世界遗产名录的建议。

虽然评估机构的建议在技术上只是咨询步骤，但此类评估几乎总是会导致列入名录。最终决定将在11月30日至12月5日在中国厦门举行的保护非物质文化遗产政府间委员会会议上做出。

尽管跆拳道在朝鲜半岛拥有相同的历史渊源，但几十年来已发展出两种截然不同的风格。韩国在全球范围内推广了世界跆拳道体系，该体系注重奥运会比赛、电子计分和护具的使用。

这张2021年的资料照片由朝鲜中央通讯社发布，照片中，朝鲜跆拳道爱好者在平壤参加跆拳道技术训练研讨会，以纪念国际跆拳道联盟（ITF）成立55周年。（韩联社）

相比之下，朝鲜遵循国际跆拳道联盟（ITF）的风格，这种风格更加注重传统武术纪律、复杂的套路以及使用手脚的直接打击。

朝鲜于2024年3月单独提交了入选国际武术联合会（ITF）的申请，重点展示了其ITF武术传统。相比之下，韩国政府推迟了申请，直到今年3月才提交，同时探讨朝韩联合入选的可行性。

“由于南北关系紧张等原因，联合上市实际上非常困难，”许文德写道，“对此我深感遗憾。”

2018年，韩朝两国共同获得了韩国传统摔跤“ssireum”的参赛资格。

韩国历史学会发言人安浩解释了韩国在自行申报和联合申报方面出现的延误，他提到了国内的遴选程序和联合国教科文组织严格的审查配额制度。

安表示：“我们曾尝试通过外交渠道，包括朝鲜外交部和统一部，与朝鲜共同申请列入世界遗产名录。然而，联合国教科文组织评估委员会成员的反馈表明，联合申请很难实现。”

“作为跆拳道走向世界的国家，这确实令人失望。”

进一步解释说，联合国教科文组织限制每个国家每年提交的物品数量，优先考虑注册物品较少的国家。

安说：“与朝鲜相比，韩国需要列入联合国教科文组织世界遗产名录的项目要多得多。在内部遴选过程中，跆拳道的优先级被降低了。”

像韩国这样列入名录范围广泛的国家，实际上只能每两年进行一次评估。2023年，韩国文物保护委员会（KHS）选择“韩纸”（韩国传统造纸技艺）而非跆拳道作为2026年评估周期的主要候选项目，并于2024年3月提交了申请。因此，当得知朝鲜也申请了跆拳道时，该机构未能及时将其列入名录。

安补充道：“朝鲜提出申请后，人们越来越觉得韩朝应该共同获得认可，因为跆拳道是韩国的核心国球。这促使我们随后匆忙提交了联合申请。”

尽管遭遇挫折，韩国历史学会强调，朝鲜此前的登记并不赋予韩国对跆拳道的独占所有权或法律垄断权。

未来可能采取的措施包括：如果平壤同意，努力将韩国纳入朝鲜的制裁名单；或者争取韩国获得独立的制裁名单。

该机构强调了未来可能的发展方向，包括如果平壤同意，将韩国纳入朝鲜的制裁名单，或者为韩国争取一个独立的制裁名单。

安先生表示：“朝鲜的申请侧重于跆拳道作为一种武术，而我们的申请则强调其精神和身体修养的文化。由于两国强调的文化价值观截然不同，因此独立申报仍然是可行的。”

该官员补充说，联合国教科文组织的非物质文化遗产体系旨在促进文化多样性，而非授予排他性权利。类似的先例也存在：民歌《阿里郎》分别于2012年和2014年由韩国和朝鲜分别登记注册；泡菜制作文化则分别于2013年和2015年由韩国和朝鲜列入名录。

韩国文物局世界遗产部副主任李俊勇指出，与平壤方面的接触努力仍然停滞不前。

李表示：“我们了解到朝鲜方面尚未作出回应。我们将继续通过其他渠道推动扩大联合上市。但是，如果朝鲜方面仍然没有回应，我们将重启内部公开招标程序，寻求独立上市。”

国际和国内跆拳道组织对此事一直保持谨慎态度。

世界跆拳道协会表示，作为国际管理机构，很难代表任何一个国家表达官方立场。

“虽然我们之前通过与维也纳国际网球联合会的沟通渠道与朝鲜保持着交流——例如在2018年平昌冬奥会期间举办联合演出——但自2019年以来，所有交流都已完全停止，”秘书长徐正康说。

跆拳道振兴基金会秘书长申成日表示：“由于这是一项政府主导的举措，我们很难发表声明。我们计划与相关政府部门讨论我们的应对措施。”