Unprecedented joint offer of the two Koreas to Unesco

The two Koreas presented on Monday a joint request for registration of the traditional Korean struggle on the World Heritage List which had been accepted by of UNESCO ] an unprecedented initiative. and a new stage in the rapprochement between the two countries.

"The fact that the two Koreas have agreed to merge their respective candidacies is unprecedented" said Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO after registration, approved at committee meeting ad hoc in Mauritius.

"This joint inscription is a historic first step on the road to inter-Korean reconciliation and reminds us of the extraordinary power of cultural heritage as a vehicle for peace and bridge, the union of peoples," Azoulay added. .

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage meeting in Port Louis, decided to Write the Korean Traditional Fight on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, after Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to merge their applications.

– called "Ssirum" in North Korea and "Ssireum" in South Korea – has deep meaning for Koreans. Mainly related to land and agriculture, it is a national sport and a very popular cultural practice in both countries.

The joint registration was possible thanks to the contacts between Azoulay and the President of South Korea, Moon Jae-In, in October in Paris and "similar exchanges" with Pyongyang at in recent weeks, said UNESCO in a statement.