Hanji, traditional Korean paper made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree, is expected to be inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

The evaluation body under the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has recommended the inscription of "Traditional knowledge, skills, and cultural practices of making Hanji in Korea," which was submitted by the South Korean government.

If the inscription is finalized at the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee meeting to be held in Xiamen, China, on November 30, South Korea's Hanji will join China's Xuan paper and Japan's Washi on the intangible cultural heritage list.


Meanwhile, Taekwondo, for which North Korea had independently applied for inscription, has also received a recommendation for inscription on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

The Korea Heritage Service stated that while it had pursued a joint inter-Korean inscription, practical conditions such as inter-Korean relations made it difficult, and added that it will continue to pursue independent or expanded inscription for South Korea's Taekwondo in the future.

(Photo courtesy of the Cultural Heritage Administration, Yonhap News)