ICHCAP

The “International Conference Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the UNESCO Joint Inscription of Tugging Rituals and Games” will be held on Friday, April 11, 2025, at the Gijisi Tug of War Museum in Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do, Republic of Korea. The event is hosted by Dangjin City (Mayor Oh Seong-hwan) and organized by ICHCAP, led by Secretary-General Kim Ji-seong.

This commemorative conference marks ten years since the tugging rituals of Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines were jointly inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015. Government officials from the four countries, tugging ritual related experts, and UNESCO officers are expected to attend. The gathering will serve as a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the past decade of achievements and discuss pathways for continued and sustainable collaboration.

Held in conjunction with the 2025 Gijisi Tugging Ritual Festival, the conference will take the form of moderated discussions across three themed sessions.

Session 1: “Reflecting on a Decade of efforts for the Joint Inscription”

Experts from the four participating countries who were directly involved in the 2015 nomination process will reunite to share behind-the-scenes stories, reflect on collaborative efforts, and present cases of transmission and international cooperation that have unfolded over the past decade.

Session 2: “The Sifnificance of Shared Heritage and Multi-Nomination as a UNESCO Initiative”

Moderated by Prof. Heo Gwon, former Secretary-General of ICHCAP, this session will feature cultural officers from the UNESCO Almaty and Hanoi Offices. Using the case of tugging rituals and games as a starting point, the speakers will explore UNESCO’s policy approaches and recent trends in shared heritage, offering insights into current multinational nomination efforts, such as the joint inscription of felt craftsmanship in Central Asia.

Session 3: “Shaping the Next 10 Years :Exploring Sustainable Collaborative Efforts”

Cultural ministry representatives from the four countries will share policy experiences and engage in in-depth dialogue on practical strategies for future collaboration. As these representatives also serve as national focal points for the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, this session is expected to provide a space for shaping actionable and cooperative initiatives.

Tugging rituals, which have been transmitted as both a community game and a traditional agricultural rite praying for a bountiful harvest, are considered a representative example of shared heritage in the Southeast Asia region. This international conference aims to highlight the cultural value of tugging rituals and foster shared understanding on a global stage.

The event is open to the public, and all those interested are welcome to attend. The conference will be conducted with simultaneous interpretation in Korean and English, and consecutive interpretation in Khmer and Vietnamese will also be provided.

For more information, please contact Yunsuk Jang, Senior Programme Specialist at ICHCAP, at +82-63-230-9742.