Topic: 2025-Safeguarding and Promoting Traditional Sports and Games
Country: Republic of Korea
Delegate Name: Zaitun Kirabo
The Republic of Korea, like many esteemed nations, has been witness to the rise in modern sports and games due to globalization. And while these games serve as a platform for national pride and global engagement, they also pose a risk to the preservation of Korea’s traditional sports and games, which are an integral part of the nation’s identity. Tied deeply with the nation’s history, games such as Yutnori, Ssireum(traditional Korean wrestling), and Neolttwigi (traditional seesaw game), are exemplary of the core values and cultural ideals of South Korea. They showcase skills in strategy, physical prowess, and teamwork, each being a valued tenant. However, as the birthplace of e-sports, South Korea has also adopted a culture of gaming and a lucrative esports market. And with a popularization of internet cafes during the 90’s, Korea successfully created a gaming culture among youths that would eventually lead to the popularity the industry has today and partially the decline in active participation and interest in traditional sports.
Though it was not created to directly address this issue. In 1962, Korea passed the Cultural Heritage Act of 1962 and with it came the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA). Both the act and the program are aimed at protecting and preserving South Korea’s cultural heritage. More specifically in the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, South Korea successfully designated Ssireum and Taekkyeon as Intangible Cultural Heritage, and established legal protections for the sports. In this same vein, the government’s 100 policy tasks that were presented in 2017 included the specific goal of building a vibrant country where everyone could enjoy sports. So, in an effort to balance the scale, Korea also sought to expand its booming esports market. In 2019, the Korean esports organization Gen.G partnered with the global education company Elite Open School to launch the Gen.G Esports Academy in Seoul. These are many of the various initiatives the Republic of Korea has undertaken to preserve and nurture its historic and new games.
It is from this angle that the Republic of Korea proposes these following measures necessary for the preservation of traditional sports and games. While it is true that government funding and legal protections have successfully negated the complete disappearance of cultural games, lack of interest and participation is still a pressing issue. We believe that through global collaboration we might be able to shine a spotlight onto our largely overlooked rich sporting histories. With the creation of an international sports program and the integration of traditional sports into school curriculums the problem of lack of interest and participation can be tackled. And through a combination of advertisement and education we can ensure that our traditional sports and games can remain an active part of our national identities.
