Review and Application of “Oral Traditions and Expressions” as a Category of National Intangible Heritage

There are 160 items designated as national intangible cultural heritage in South Korea, which can be classified into seven designation categories, however, not a single item has been designated in the category of “oral traditions and expressions.” The National Heritage Administration has recognized the need for new designations in this field and commissioned a two-year project. I criticize this as reflecting a lack of understanding of the “oral traditions and expressions” category and, furthermore, of the designation categories. Since intangible cultural heritage has diverse and three-dimensional characteristics, it is often not possible to limit it to a single category. The designation category is a detailed description of the scope of designation, and intangible cultural heritage can actually have multiple categories. Therefore, classifying intangible cultural heritage into a single category can generate many criticisms. Even UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, which has greatly influenced our efforts, selects multiple designation categories (domains) and does not recognize them as affiliated departments. We also point out that using this designated category as a classification and publicizing it as-is can cause the general public to misunderstand a heritage item. To address this criticism, I examined the historical evolution of Korea’s designated categories. “Oral traditions and expressions” is a category that was created in 2016 under the influence of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage system. Therefore, I explored how this category is used in this system and what heritage actually exists in “oral traditions and expressions.” Currently, 37 of the national intangible cultural heritages are “oral traditions and expressions.” However, these heritages are not limited to “oral traditions and expressions,” but have a complex nature. On the other hand, one thing that cannot be limited to “oral traditions and expressions” is “story culture,” or folktales. There is no room for discussion about the intangible cultural heritage value of folktales and the need to designate them as national or provincial intangible cultural heritages. However, when looking at the criteria of the existing intangible cultural heritage policy, several issues regarding the designation of folktales arise that are discussed.