NORTH and South Korea are making a first joint bid for an international recognition of traditional Korean wrestling.

South Korean culture officials said yesterday a UNESCO committee is set to determine whether to add Korean wrestling to its list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” this week.

The Koreas had earlier pushed separate bids for the sport’s UNESCO recognition, but the cooperation follows an easing of tension on the divided peninsula amid a flurry of exchanges this year. Local media reports said South Korea had first proposed the joint bid during a leaders’ summit at the Korean border village in April.

In Korean wrestling, participants with a belt around their waists and thighs use their hands, legs and other body parts to bring down their opponents to the sand ground. In South Korea, it gained wide popularity in the 1980s. (SD-Agencies)