Korea's Hanji Culture UNESCO Inscription Delayed to 2026

South Korea's bid to have traditional hanji (Korean handmade paper) culture inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list has been postponed to 2026, as the country's multi-inscription status requires biennial applications.

The 20th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage concluded on December 12 in New Delhi, India, after opening on December 8. No new Korean entries were inscribed this year.

"As a country with multiple inscriptions on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, South Korea can only apply every other year, so there is no inscription this year," the Korea Heritage Service said. "The final decision on the inscription of 'Traditional Knowledge, Skills and Cultural Practices of Hanji Papermaking' will be made in 2026."

South Korea currently has 23 items on the UNESCO intangible heritage list, including Jongmyo Jeryeak (Royal Ancestral Ritual Music), making it the fourth-largest holder of inscribed items globally as of last year. Under UNESCO guidelines, annual reviews are capped at 60 items, with priority given to countries that did not submit applications the previous year. This effectively requires Korea to submit applications every two years to receive priority review status. Korea inscribed "Jang, the Culture of Fermented Soybean in Korea" last year.

Korea submitted its application for hanji culture to UNESCO in April last year. The entire process from domestic procedures to final UNESCO inscription typically takes more than five years.

At this year's committee session, 69 items were newly inscribed, including 55 on the Representative List, 11 on the Urgent Safeguarding List, and 3 as Best Safeguarding Practices. Since UNESCO began inscribing intangible heritage in 2008, a total of 849 items have been inscribed.

Newly inscribed items on the Representative List this year include Switzerland's "Yodeling," Poland's "Wickerwork Tradition," Belgium's "Rod Puppetry Tradition of Brussels," Italy's "Italian Cuisine: Sustainability and Biocultural Diversity," and Chile's "Family Tradition Circus of Chile."

"The UNESCO Secretariat expressed gratitude to the Korean government for its financial contribution to support the development of an online platform for intangible heritage best practices, referring to the trust fund agreement signed between Korea and UNESCO in May this year," the Korea Heritage Service said.

The 21st session of the Intergovernmental Committee will be held in Xiamen, China, in November next year.