씨름 무형유산 남북등재 기념식 장충체육관서 열려<br /><br />In late November, a traditional Korean form of wrestling, called Ssireum, was added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural assets.<br />Today, the Cultural and Heritage Administration and the Korean Ssireum Association held a ceremony to celebrate its listing.<br />Choi Si-young sheds light on the significance of earning this recognition. <br /><br />It starts with a mesmerizing traditional Korean drum dance.<br />South Korea's Cultural Heritage Administration and the Korea Ssireum Association brought people together to celebrate the first UNESCO cultural heritage shared by two countries -- South and North Korea.<br />As a sport, Ssireum has been around in Korea since the fourth century. <br />Each wrestler holds onto a belt called "Satba" that wraps around the waist and thighs... and relies on strength and technique to push their opponent off balance.<br />The winner is the wrestler who brings any part of their opponent's body, above the knee, to the ground.<br />As a national competition, Ssireum was first televised across the country in 1972. <br />That was also when the large cash prize was introduced.<br />The national sport had its heyday in the 1980s, but its popularity later waned for several reasons, including the disintegration of professional teams, a lack of awareness of the sport in secondary schools, and the sport's complicated rules.<br />The Korea Ssireum Association has been one of many trying to revive the tradition.<br />The association has been hosting the Korea Ssireum Festival since 2008, and at the most recent edition in November, wrestlers also came from other countries, including Spain and Russia.<br />In return, the Korean wrestlers went to Spain to take part in the traditional wrestling of the Canary Islands, known as Lucha Canaria.<br />There, Korea and Spain agreed to make the cultural exchange an annual event.<br />To make Ssireum more widely known, the first step is to unify the rules and traditions in both South and North Korea.<br />"UNESCO listing Ssireum for both South and North Korea is a chance to settle on rules and styles for the sport, which could allow the tradition to spread."<br />So with the UNESCO listing, Ssireum might be one step closer to its former glory.<br />Choi Si-young, Arirang News. <br />
