Gimjang is a community gathering for Koreans to prepare and share kimchi. (image: U.S. Army Korea (Historical Image Archive)@flikr)
SEOUL, Korea, Dec 06 (Korea Bizwire) – ‘Gimjang: making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea’ is now added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the UNESCO(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), according to a decision made by Intergovernmental Commission for Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection in December, 2013.
Now that ‘gimjang’ is on the List, Korea holds total 16 cases of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, including arirang (2012), ganggangsulae (2009), pansori (2008), and Ancestral Ritual Formalities and Music of Korean Royal Shrine (2008).
Especially, the 24 Intergovernmental Commission Members highly valued the facts that gimjang symbolized the community and sharing culture of the Koreans who need to prepare for the winter each fall, and that it gave Koreans the sense of identity and belonging by strengthening the bonds between the members of the society.
Gimjang is a traditional Korean event in which kimchi is prepared for the upcoming freezing winter season. (photo: KimchiGwangju@flickr)
The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Heritage Administration have made numerous efforts to put gimjang on the List, and their efforts are considered to have contributed in big part to this success.
In addition, Cultural Heritage Administration is coming up with plans such as implementing laws, that are unprecedented, in relation to protecting intangible cultural heritage, in part to expand gimjang culture so that it will be continuously handed down in the future.
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