A Final Decision to Be Made at the Upcoming Committee Meeting ▲ Hahoe Byeolsingut Tallori (Mask Dance Drama of Hahoe) [courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration]

“Talchum, mask dance drama in the Republic of Korea” has been recommended for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by a consultative body (known as the Evaluation Body) of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The recommendation was made public at 8:00 a.m. on November 1 (at midnight on October 31 local time in Paris).

The Evaluation Body examined 46 files nominated for inscription on the Representative List. In its evaluation report, published on the UNESCO website, the Evaluation Body recommends that the Committee inscribe 31 nominations including talchum on the Representative List and refer 14 nominations to the submitting States Parties. The Evaluation Body was not able to achieve consensus concerning one nomination. A final decision on talchum and other nominations will be made at the 17th session of the Committee to be held in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco from November 28 to December 3 in 2022.

▲ Gangnyeong Talchum (Mask Dance Drama of Gangnyeong) [courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration]Regarding the talchum nomination, the Evaluation Body praised the Cultural Heritage Administration for preparing a well-elaborated file with details specified on the social functions and cultural meanings of this performing tradition.

Inscription of talchum will increase the number of elements the Republic of Korea has on the Representative List from the current 21 to 22.

“Pyongyang Raengmyon custom,” submitted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, was also recommended for inscription on the Representative List. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea currently has three elements entered onto the Representative List (Arirang folk song in 2014; tradition of kimchi-making in 2015; and traditional Korean wresting in 2018).

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