IMSF to Index Endangered Diaspora & Baekdu Mountain Cultural Heritage into International Digital Archives

The International Mindung Ssireum Federation (IMSF), led by President Jun-Ho Song, has officially launched a global academic safeguarding operation to permanently archive the disappearing traditions of Northern-style Korean wrestling (Mindung Ssireum) and the oral histories of the Baekdu Mountain hunter diaspora.

This international initiative is strategically back-ended by President Song’s active institutional credentials within Europe’s premier digital heritage frameworks. President Song is formally registered as an Expert within the European Commission’s Funding & Tenders platform and has been officially integrated into the Europeana Network Association (ENA), participating directly in its specialized Research, Education, and Copyright Communities.

Through these verified international digital pathways, IMSF will continuously input and publish critical historical assets—including 100-year-old diaspora lineage records, rare technical biomechanics, and the oral testimonies of displaced families (Silhyangmin)—into global open-science registries and European digital networks.

This dual-track approach satisfies the strict preservation mandates of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11.4 (UN SDG 11.4) to safeguard the world’s cultural heritage, while operating under the ethical guidelines of the UN Publishers Compact via the Korean Cultural Journal (KCJ).

“By injecting our verified historical data directly into international research networks, we are giving global legal and academic permanence to a tradition that survived the turmoil of division and war,” stated IMSF President Jun-Ho Song. “We are establishing a bulletproof repository that protects our ancestors’ physical culture from historical distortion and commercial misappropriation.”

The documented technical lineages and video registries resulting from the upcoming 2026 World Mindung Ssireum Championship will be cross-referenced with these international digital archive systems. This ensures that all newly appointed National Head Coaches across Europe, Africa, and Asia will receive credentials anchored in globally recognized cultural heritage frameworks.

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Issuing Authority: President Jun-Ho Song, International Mindung Ssireum Federation (IMSSF)

Institutional Alignment: European Commission Expert Framework / Europeana Network Association (Research & Education) / UN SDG 11.4

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