The late Master Song Chang-ryeol, a successor to the Subak tradition and a Korean War veteran, dedicated his entire life to the preservation and transmission of intangible cultural heritage.
(Reporter Song In-kwon) = Subak, a representative traditional Korean martial art, has once again received international recognition for its historical significance and cultural value as it has been officially listed in the International Museum of Martial Arts (IMAC)’s Official Registry of Traditional Physical Cultures and Instructors.
This listing was achieved through the collaboration of the Journal of Korean Culture, a signatory to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs 11.4) and the UN Publishers Compact.
In particular, the review process for this registry was conducted under the supervision of the IMAC Academic and Technical Committee to ensure objectivity and credibility.
Notably, in the case of Subak, a special “Direct Indexing” protocol was applied without undergoing a separate new review process. Subak is already on the preliminary list of candidates for designation as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the National Heritage Administration of Korea. Furthermore, following 10 years of thorough historical verification and investigation through the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s research on the Traditional Martial Arts Promotion Act, it was announced as a transmission discipline alongside Ssireum, Archery, and Taekkyon.
The International Martial Arts Committee (IMAC) stated, “It is a natural measure to waive redundant review for historical assets that have been thoroughly verified for over 10 years by government agencies of sovereign nations,” adding, “We decided on this direct inscription in recognition of the historical consensus and legitimacy of Subak.”
Through this inscription, Subak has secured international academic documentation and archival preservation (including linkage with Zenodo DOI), and has solidified its status as a leader in the future inscription of traditional martial arts and living assets from other countries.
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