A subsidiary body of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has recommended that "Kimjang; Making and Sharing Kimchi" be registered as an intangible UNESCO cultural heritage asset, officials said.
The intergovernmental committee is scheduled to make a final decision on the matter during a meeting to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from Dec. 2 to 7, they said.
Kimchi, if approved by the UNESCO intergovernmental body, will be South Korea's 16th cultural asset on the UNESCO list which includes "Jongmyo Jerye (ancestral royal rites for kings of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910)"; "Jongmyo Jerye-ak (ancestral royal ritual music)"; "Pansori (percussion instrumental performance)"; and "Gangneung Dano-je," a traditional festival indigenous to Gangneung on the country's East Coast.
Of 31 applications deliberated by the subsidiary body this time, Kimchi and 22 other cultural assets were recommended for "inscription," according to the officials. They include the Chinese abacus and Japan's traditional food culture.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com