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Title [Centre News] Signing a Tripartite MOU with KSA and KRTGA

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    17-06-2022
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Signing a Tripartite MOU with KSA and KRTGA

- Stimulating worldwide youth development through the promotion of Ssireum and Taekkyeon, intangible cultural heritage of humanity -


ICM signed an MOU on the 25th of May with the Korea Ssireum Association (KSA) and Korea Taekkyeon Association (KRTGA).


Taekkyeon was recognized as Korea’s national intangible cultural heritage No. 76 in 1983 and listed as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. For UNESCO this was the first time for a martial art to be recognized as such. Ssireum was recognized as national intangible cultural heritage No. 131 and has been added as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, one common to the two Koreas.


As an international organization established by agreement between the Korean government and UNESCO, ICM has focused on the implementation of youth education projects such as Martial Arts Open Schools (MAOS) and the International Youth Martial Arts Camp (IYMAC). KRTGA has strived for the promotion of Taekkyeon through the preservation and inheritance of its original form. As a member of the Korea Sport and Olympics Committee, KSA has made an all-out effort to successfully host international Ssireum competitions and foster talent.


By signing this MOU, each organization aims to strengthen the international capacity of Ssireum and, in particular, to support the empowerment of the youth and women through Taekkyeon and Ssireum, the martial arts listed as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.


Hwang Kyung Soo, KSA President, demonstrated his optimism for this MOU by declaring “the cooperation with ICM will serve as an opportunity for Taekkyeon and Ssireum, our great traditional culture and sports, to develop as a global culture that all people across the world can enjoy.”


Kim Du-hwan, Chungju Deputy Mayor, said, “Through this MOU, each party will cooperate more closely with each other in implementing inter-organizational martial arts programs and more people will practice the two Korean traditional martial arts.” Park Man-yeop, KRTGA Vice President, said, ”[We] will be able to contribute to the development of the global youth using Taekkyeon, the first martial art to be listed as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.”


Park Changhyun, ICM Secretary-General, said, “By signing an MOU with KRTGA and KSA, we look forward to more vigorously implementing youth and female empowerment projects as well as meeting UNESCO strategic objectives.”


At the same time, ICM is planning to launch the 6th MAOS project on the 18th of June 2022 in Kathmandu, Nepal. The project will be conducted with the cooperation of KRTGA and will provide Taekkyeon training to Nepalese teenagers and women.