North Korea’s application to register taekwondo with UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of the communist state has reignited a long-running rivalry between the two Koreas over their claims to the martial art, putting pressure on Seoul to take action.

According to the Korea Taekwondo UNESCO Promotion Task Force, Pyongyang formally submitted an application to UNESCO in March 2024, with the U.N. agency expected to make a final decision by 2026.

Choi Jae-chun, who leads the ROK task force, told NK Newsthat government inaction risks South Korea losing its cultural claim to the globally recognized martial art and