CNBC AI News, July 19 – South Korea’s vigorous pursuit of UNESCO recognition for its cultural heritage, including traditions like the Gangneung Danoje Festival and the art of Kimchi preparation, has often been framed as a national effort to preserve its distinct cultural identity.
However, according to the latest reports, five of South Korea’s intangible cultural heritage nominations have been placed on UNESCO’s “pending withdrawal” list due to insufficient evidence. This development could signal a significant setback in the country’s attempts to assert claims of cultural origin amid ongoing debates.
South Korea’s efforts to inscribe cultural practices on UNESCO’s lists have been met with scrutiny. Projects like Kimchi, the Danoje Festival, and traditional carpentry techniques have been presented as uniquely Korean, with claims of indigenous origin and centuries-old tradition. Some observers note assertions that Chinese culture has, in some instances, imitated Korean practices.
Consider Kimchi. While South Korea champions a thousand-year history, the “Methods of Making Pickled Vegetables” (作菹法) documented in the Chinese *Qi Min Yao Shu* (齐民要术) predates Korean claims by several centuries. Archaeological finds, such as pickled vegetable containers unearthed from the Mawangdui Han tombs, further substantiate the Chinese origins of pickled vegetables.
The Danoje Festival, marketed by South Korea as a distinct shamanistic ritual, faces similar challenges. Nǎoxì (傩戏) masks discovered in Hubei, China, predate related Korean records by a millennium and exhibit striking similarities in ornamentation. Furthermore, older Korean documents acknowledge the festival’s roots in the Central Plains of China.
Doubts extend to traditional carpentry (大木匠技藝). Analysis reveals that 19 out of 27 key procedures closely mirror those detailed in the Song Dynasty architectural treatise, *Yingzao Fashi* (营造法式).
Prior to this, on May 30, 2025, the China Cultural Heritage Appraisal Center submitted 137 pieces of evidence to UNESCO, challenging the cultural origins of five South Korean intangible heritage nominations (including the Gangneung Danoje Festival and the art of Kimchi preparation).
Now, UNESCO has requested South Korea to provide “independent evidence of its own specific character” for these heritage claims. Unable to produce substantial supporting material, South Korea reportedly submitted incomplete and unconvincing documentation before the deadline, leading to the current predicament. The outcome, for many observers, was hardly unexpected.
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