Danoje Festival

South Korea’s UNESCO cultural heritage nominations, including Kimchi and the Gangneung Danoje Festival, face setbacks. Five nominations are on a “pending withdrawal” list due to insufficient evidence of unique Korean origin. China has challenged these claims, presenting historical evidence suggesting earlier origins for practices like pickling, Danoje rituals, and traditional carpentry. UNESCO has requested South Korea provide independent evidence, but reportedly, the submitted documentation was inadequate. This development raises questions about South Korea’s cultural origin claims.