# UNESCO Taekwondo heritage listing competition > Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/unesco-taekwondo-heritage-listing-competition > Updated: 2026-11-05T01:46:03.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. North Korea is expected to secure a solo UNESCO listing for Taekwondo after its application was recommended for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. While both North and South Korea submitted applications in March 2024, North Korea’s application is being processed more rapidly. South Korean officials noted that while North Korea may receive the listing first, this does not grant exclusive rights or strip South Korea of its status as the home of the martial art. The current state of inter-Korean relations has made joint inscription efforts, such as the successful 2018 joint listing of Ssireum wrestling, effectively impossible. South Korea intends to continue pursuing its own independent listing for “Taekwondo: the training culture of Korean dojang communities,” which is not scheduled for a decision until December 2028. A final decision regarding North Korea’s application is expected in December during a meeting in Xiamen, China. ## Timeline ### 2026-11-05: North Korea likely to secure UNESCO Taekwondo listing ahead of South Korea North Korea is poised to secure a solo UNESCO listing for Taekwondo, complicating South Korea’s plans for a joint cultural heritage designation. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/north-korea-likely-to-secure-unesco-taekwondo-listing-ahead-of-south-korea ### 2026-11-02: South Korea official expects North Korea to lead UNESCO Taekwondo listing South Korea's National Heritage Administration expects North Korea to secure a UNESCO Taekwondo listing by December, making joint inter-Korean inscription unlikely due to strained relations. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korea-official-expects-north-korea-to-lead-unesco-taekwondo-listing --- Cite as: UNESCO Taekwondo heritage listing competition. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/unesco-taekwondo-heritage-listing-competition