Inscribed in 2009 (4.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Jeju’s harsh environmental features have made the islanders’ lives tough, inspiring respect for the sea. Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam (Augmented Survey of the Geography of Korea) of the Joseon Dynasty records, “As there is the custom of valuing licentious sacrifices, rites are held to honor the gods of forests, ponds, hills, trees and stones.” It can thus be inferred that many religious activities are conducted in Jeju. For Jeju islanders, the Yeongdeunggut rite is of special significance. When the time of Yeongdeung arrives, the rites are held throughout the island to plead for calm seas and abundant sea catches. Of all these rites, the one at the Chilmeoridang Shrine called the Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut is the most important. Its name implies that it is a rite for the goddess of wind only, but it is also a rite to worship village guardian gods and the Dragon King of the sea. While venerated, Yeongdeung also instills fear as she threatens people’s lives by stirring the sea. From early to mid-February when the goddess is present on the island, the sea is particularly turbulent. The islanders believe that as she leaves she removes all the contents of the shellfish. On the day of departure, however, the goddess also sows seeds along the shore to ensure people’s livelihood and the sea is purified to help the growth of the seeds. As such, importance has been attached to the time of her stay and people began to mark the occasion by performing a rite at the Chilmeoridang Shrine in supplication for safety and good sea harvests. Named after the village where it is located, the Chilmeoridang Shrine serves the goddess Yeongdeung and a couple, the Magistrate god and the sea goddess known as the Dragon King's Wife. The couple’s responsibilities are divided between the needs of the local residents (managed by the god) and the livelihood of fishermen and female divers (the domain of the goddess). The Chilmeoridang Shrine is where the Yeongdeung Welcome Rite is held on the 1st day of the second lunar month to mark the arrival of the goddess as well as the Yeongdeung Farewell Rite performed on the 14th. During this period, rituals for the mountain gods (dangje), which are performed in the first lunar month elsewhere in Korea, are carried out in other villages on Jeju Island. Only on Jeju are rituals for the mountain gods and rites for the goddess Yeongdeung combined into one shaman ritual, Yeongdeunggut. Compared to the simple Yeongdeung Welcome Rite, the Yeongdeung Farewell Rite is a sumptuous and more significant event. It is considered one of the most important of the shaman rituals and includes a rite for the Dragon King. The Welcome Rite begins with chogamje, a “calling of the gods” ceremony which involves greeting and inviting the gods to the shrine as well as reciting the participants’ names, followed by pungeoje, a “pleading for a good catch” ceremony, and ends with seoksalrimgut, a gut (shaman ritual) with a three-act play to entertain and appease the ancestral gods. The Farewell Rite also begins with the chogamje ceremony, but it also includes bonhyangdeum, an “entering the Village Shrine” ceremony. This involves asking the God and Goddess Couple to plead for the wellbeing of the village. The ritual includes three village officials offering drinks to the Couple and villagers asking that their wishes be granted. This is followed by chumul gongyeon, an “offering” ceremony in which drinks and rice cakes are offered to all the gods, a yowang maji, a “welcoming the Dragon King” ceremony, which is a special welcome for the Dragon King and the goddess Yeongdeung to ask them to ensure an abundant catch and safety at sea for the fishermen, and then by ssidrim, an “offering of seeds” ceremony in which fortunetelling is done with millet seeds and the sowing of seaweed seeds. Next comes the doaek mageum, “preventing disasters” ceremony that involves the throwing of a rooster to prevent disasters from happening in the village. There is also fortunetelling for the villagers and female divers. This is followed by the yeonggam nori, a play in which the village’s senior men launch a straw boat into the sea. The rite ends with the dosin, “sending the gods back” ceremony. Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut began to be widely known in 1980 as simbang (senior shaman) Ahn Sa-in was recognized as Skill Holder. At the time, the waves of modernization had resulted in a negative view of gut as being a dangerous superstition. However, the fishing people of Jeju, along with simbangs, went into deep valleys and sea caves to secretly offer up fervent prayers. Then, the ritual’s designation as an important intangible cultural heritage paved the way for its survival. Determined to revive the rite, Ahn Sa-in established an association with simbangs to safeguard the heritage. Among the founding members are the current Skill Holder Kim Yun-su, adviser Yang Chang-bo, and trainer Goh Sun-An. As Ahn, who had prevented the gut from disappearing on Jeju, passed away in 1990, Kim Yun-su was recognized as the second Skill Holder in 1995. There are currently 40 members. Although the rite is conducted by shamans, its real owners are female divers and ship owners, together called “dangol,” who prepare food for the rite and offer sacrifices to the gods. Starting from their early teens, the divers continue their work of collecting marine delicacies from the ocean floor, so their safety and abundance of the sea are their lifelong wish; and their existence helps maintain the Yeongdeunggut. Sending off the goddess Yeongdeung, the dangol prays: “When you leave, please sow seeds of turban shells, abalones, octopi and sea cucumbers so that we, the people who believe in the sea, can have an abundant sea catch.”

South Korea 2009

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Seoul Saenamgut was performed for the upper classes in Seoul to console the spirits of the dead and pray for their peaceful life in heaven. It is presumed that this rite was first performed during the Joseon Period (1392 –1910) and took on a more developed form during the 17th and 18th Centuries. The rite is composed of Andang Sagyeong Maji (spending time from 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. in the courtyard) and Saenamgut, which is performed from the following morning by five female exorcists and six dancers to the accompaniment of janggo (hourglass-shaped drum), buk (drums), daegeum (bamboo flute), piri (flute) and other instruments. Seoul Saenamgut has features that cannot be found in the other exorcism rites. It displays elaborate composition and looks gorgeous. It includes both Buddhist and Confucian elements as well as contents relating to the royal court of the Joseon Period.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea As a folk play performed in Andong around the full moon period of January 15 on the lunar calendar, it is said to have stemmed from the battles between Gyeon Hwon of Later Baekje and King Taejo (Wang Geon) of Goryeo. Villagers select good trees to be used for the play in nearby mountains toward the end of the preceding year, hold a sacrificial rite for mountain deities, fell them, and carry them to the village. Since the thickness and solidity of the trees are decisive factors of the battle, they work on the trees under tight security to prevent opponents from getting information on the trees. The village is divided into two sides according to their place of birth. On the event day, farmers’ music is played to arouse people’s interest. People stand on their side of the battle and try to discourage the other side by raising the wooden structure they made. The leaders of the two sides stand at the top of the raised structure set up against that of the opponent team. They balance their body by holding the string tied to the top of the structure and give commands to their team. The team that makes the opponent’s wooden structure fall to the ground wins the battle. The beauty of the play lies in the spirit of fair play. If any participant in the play is in danger, both sides immediately back off and get him out of danger before engaging in the battle again. As a mock battle among males, Andong Chajeon Nori displays the martial spirit kept by the people in Andong. It is also a rite of praying for a good year for crops. The winning side will reportedly enjoy better harvest in the year.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea For the event, the village is divided into two teams: the East Team (symbolizing males) and the West Team (symbolizing females). The village will reportedly enjoy better harvest in the year if the West Team (females giving birth to children) wins. The tug-of-war is also called galjeon, which is associated with the use of arrowroot vines for the rope. The event had been handed down as a rite held in farming provinces south of the central area of the country. At present, it is performed as part of the March 1 Cultural Festival. The rope used for the event is 40 - 50m long. The diameter of the main section of the straw rope made in a year comes to larger than 1m; if you sit down on it, your legs do not touch the ground. Many thinner straw ropes are tied to the main section for people to tug. Each team makes its own rope, with the two ropes connected right before the event. The leaders of the two teams stand on the main section of the rope to give the necessary signals. Farmers’ music is played joyously to cheer for the people. The event is a rite held to pray for good harvest and build a spirit of collaboration among villagers based on the belief associated with dragon and snake.

South Korea 2015

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Akgijang refers to the skill of making instruments used to play the country’s traditional music or to an artisan with such a skill. It is presumed on the basis of murals dating from the Goguryeo Period displaying wind, string, and percussion instruments that such artisans existed during the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC – 668 AD). During the Joseon Period (1392 – 1910), musical instruments required by the government were made at an independent institution named Akgijoseongcheong (the Office of Production of Musical Instruments) within the Royal Court. The number of types of the country’s traditional musical instruments comes to 60 – 70. Gayageum (twelve-stringed zither) and geomungo (six-stringed zither) are the leading ones, followed by ajaeng (seven-stringed zither), daejaeng (fifteen-stringed zither), and hogeum (two-stringed fiddle). Wagonghu (harp), sugonghu (vertical harp), dangbipa (four-stringed Chinese mandolin), hyangbipa (Korean mandolin), yanggeum (dulcimer), geumgwasul are produced, but rarely used. Generally, the sounding board of a string instrument is made of Paulownia wood. The bottom board is made of chestnut and pine wood. The wood of the jujube tree, ebony, and Chinese juniper tree is used to make pieces decorating instruments. Paulownia, in addition to being rot resistant, has good resonance properties and does not crack during drying. Akgijang is protected through designation as important intangible cultural heritage. Buk (drum) making skills were integrated into Akgijang in March 1995.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Makgeolli is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage made from rice or other grains that is purported to date back to the introduction of farming on the Korean Peninsula. Terms purported to denote this milky and lightly effervescent rice wine are included in literary compilations from the Goryeo Dynasty. Cookbooks from the Joseon period such as Gyuhap chongseo and Eumsik dimibang offer detailed recipes for makgeolli. Joseon-era novels contain mentions of the drink as well. Makgeolli can be made easily and at low cost simply with rice, water, and the fermentation starter nuruk. Its simplicity and affordability have made the milky rice wine widely available, leading it to become deeply engrained in the everyday lives of the Korean people. Makgeolli quenched the thirst of farmers throughout the working season. Korean farm laborers used to say, "If it all pays the same, I'd rather offer a hand to the farmhouse serving the most delicious makgeolli." Makgeolli was also an indispensable element in ritual ceremonies and celebrations or mourning. Many traditions featuring makgeolli as a ritual drink have been transmitted to the present. The milky rice wine is still presented as an offering in diverse modern ceremonies commemorating, for example, the completion of a building, purchase of a new car, or opening of shops. A popular drink widely consumed nationwide, makgeolli was one of the fermented foods made by individual households up to the end of the Joseon era. Along with other definitive Korean fermented foods such as kimchi and soybean-based sauces, makgeolli was brewed in individual households, meaning a distinctive taste could be passed down in each one. Starting in the 20th century, makgeolli production gradually switched to commercial breweries and the ingredients underwent a natural course of change. Makgeolli has evolved as it adapted to sociocultural conditions. The popularity of this traditional Korean rice wine has surged since 2000. There is also a growing number of people brewing their own these days. (A liquor tax order issued in 1916 under Japanese colonial rule restricted the domestic production of alcoholic drinks. In 1995 home-made alcoholic beverages were legalized again.) The tradition of making and sharing makgeolli has been designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage for its cultural, historical, social, and academic values. As a form of popular culture, this element has entered the national heritage list without the usual recognition of its holders.

Inscribed in 2008 (3.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2005) The annual Gangneung Danoje Festival takes place in the town of Gangneung and its surroundings, situated east of the Taebaek Mountain Range on the Korean peninsula.The festival includes a shamanistic ritual on the Daegwallyeong Ridge, which pays tribute to the mountain deity and male and female tutelary deities. It encompasses traditional music and Odokddegi folk songs, the Gwanno mask drama, oral narrative poetry, and various popular pastimes. The Nanjang market, Korea’s largest outdoor marketplace, is today a major element of the festival, where local products and handicrafts are sold and contests, games and circus performances take place. The four-week long festival begins with the brewing of a sacred liquor and the Dano shamanistic rituals, in which a central role is played by a sacred tree, the sinmok, and the hwagae, a ritual object made of feathers, bells and bamboo wood. One of the specific features of the festival is the coexistence of Confucian, shamanistic and Buddhist rituals. Through the rituals devoted to the deities, the region is believed to remain unaffected by natural disasters, allowing all its residents to live in peace and prosperity. Every year, a large number of visitors attend the various ritual performances and actively participate in events such as making Danoje festival fans, brewing the sacred liquor, drawing masks for the Gwanno Mask Drama, preparing and eating Surichiwi rice crackers and washing their hair in Iris water. The Gangneung Danoje Festival enjoys immense popularity. However, cultural standardization and increased media coverage over the years have resulted in the loss of some traditional elements of the festival. In the traditional context of the festival, one of the functions has been to transcend social differences by allowing people of all social classes to participate.

South Korea 2008

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea These dances were performed following the rite of driving away evil spirits from the Royal Court during the early Joseon Period. The Crane Dance was performed to bless and praise the King in a rite held at the Royal Court from the Goryeo Period. It is the only dance in the country in which the performer is disguised as a bird. The Lotus Flower Dance is based on a story about two girls born as pistils of a lotus flower repaying the King’s virtuosity with a dance and asong. Two performers disguised as cranes start the performance with a dance. A little later, they peck the two lotus flower buds. Two girls appear from the lotus flowers and the cranes run away, frightened. The Crane Dance is accompanied by music like seryeongsan, samhyeon dodeuri, and taryeong, and the Lotus Flower Dance by a piece of Royal Court music. These dances portray communication between animals and humans. They display high artistic quality and traditional values both in content and style.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Soban refers to a tray-table used for an individual or for a sacrificial rite for ancestors. Sobanjang means the skill of making a tray-table, or an artisan with such a skill. Murals in tombs of Goguryeo display many types of soban. According to records such as Samguk sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) or Gyeongguk daejeon (National Code), there were state agencies responsible for production of dining tables. Soban production developed due to the preference for individual dining tables over those for two or more people under the influence of Confucianism, and due to the needs associated with large and small events, including wedding and sacrificial rites. There are 60-plus types of soban, depending on the place of origin, shape, and usage. Soban were chiefly made in Haeju (featuring engraved carvings), Naju (featuring wood strips with mid-level of legs), Tongyeong (featuring cloud-shaped legs), and Gangwon-do. The shapes of the soban legs differ from region to region; those made in Gyeongsang-do have bamboo-shaped legs, the ones made in Jeolla-do tiger foot-shaped legs, and the ones made in Gangwon-do and Gyeonggi-do dog foot-shaped legs.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Gungjung Chaehwa, Royal silk flower making, is the art of making flowers with silk or ramie fabric preserved in the royal court of Joseon for the decoration or celebration of various royal and state events such as banquets and ceremonial rituals. The art, which has been registered on the list of Important Intangible Cultural Heritages in recognition of its close connection with the traditions of the Joseon royal court, uses various silk flowers as symbols of peace, longevity, or health.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea The Grand Jeju Ritual is a comprehensive form of shamanistic performance incorporating music, dance, and games into a single event. The largest in scale among the shamanistic rites held on Jeju Island, this time-old tradition involves more than five shamans and goes on for seven to fifteen days. This longstanding Jeju tradition is believed to demonstrate an original form of shamanistic ritual. The diverse local performance types encompassed by the Grand Jeju Ritual present great potential for academic research. This shamanistic performance is considered to exemplify a complete ritual that starts with the descending of gods, proceeds to rites to welcome and entertain them, and then sends them off. The narrative songs of the Grand Jeju Ritual reflect local beliefs regarding life and death and the creation of the universe. Its dialog is delivered in a pure form of the Jeju dialect, making the tradition a significant material for linguistic studies as well. Considering all these points, the Grand Jeju Ritual has been designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Suryukjae (Land and Water Rite) began to be performed during the early Joseon Period (1392-1910) to guide all the spirits of beings that lived in both water and land to the peaceful other world. The rite has high historical and cultural significance and aesthetic merit as provided by, among other old texts, Joseon wangjo sillok (Annals of the Joseon Dynasty); it is performed night and day for the peace of the entire living and the dead. On the other hand, the Yeongsanjae (Celebration of Buddha's Sermon on Vulture Peak Mountain) was performed for the peace of individual beings. Jingwansa Temple in Seoul had been a main venue for such rites, which were commissioned by the royal family of Joseon. It preserves the heritage, including the altar and architectural adornments as well as ceremonial proceedings.