VANK, a cyber diplomatic mission, launched a campaign to designate ‘Taekkyeon Day’ (June 1) as a legal memorial day.
Taekkyeon is a traditional martial art of the Republic of Korea and is a precious heritage that has embody the spirit and culture of our people for a long time. It is also familiar through popular culture, such as the drama Gaksital and webtoon lookism.
Taekkyeon, which has been deeply rooted in Korean emotions and history, is a martial art and sport that the Korean people systematically developed from the primitive fighting techniques that humans practiced naturally during the evolution process. Taekkyeon, a traditional Korean martial art that uses flexible and rhythmic dance-like movements to attack or trip an opponent, is more than just a technique for training the body, but also embodies unique Korean spiritual culture such as courtesy, consideration, and the values of coexistence.
VANK introduced, “Taekkyeon originally started as a martial art for survival and a leisure activity at the village level, and naturally performed the function of social integration by promoting solidarity among community members and enhancing community spirit,” adding, “Taekkyeon is an everyday sport.” He mentioned the social importance of Taekkyeon, saying, “It promotes physical and mental well-being, and also revitalizes society in that it helps practitioners become healthy members of society.”
According to VANK, the rules of Taekkyeon are imbued with the spirit of coexistence, which includes not causing injury to the other person or damaging their clothes. This is the ideology of ‘coexistence and co-prosperity,’ and reflects Korea’s unique values. Taekkyeon is a martial art that fosters humble winners and confident losers in that it teaches people to be considerate of their opponents until the very moment they seize the initiative, and places the utmost importance on the value of being together. This spirit of Taekkyeon, which aims for a world in which we live together, still provides great lessons today.
In recognition of its function and role, Taekkyeon was registered as Korea’s Important Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 76 on June 1, 1983.
However, it is currently facing a crisis where it is difficult to even maintain its reputation. In the past, Taekkyeon clubs were actively operated at universities across the country and many people learned and enjoyed Taekkyeon, but these days, this is gradually disappearing. The ‘Taekkyeon Battle’, which was held every weekend in Insa-dong, Seoul, has also been suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic. Even efforts to restart this are experiencing difficulties due to a lack of manpower in the pilot team.
Vank said, “Taekkyeon suffered the pain of being almost uprooted during the Japanese colonial period due to the policy of eradicating national culture, but thanks to the dedication and efforts of Teacher Song Deok-gi, the technique and spirit were passed down through a small number of students and managed to maintain its existence. “He added that Taekkyeon was a symbolic entity that preserved our people’s traditions even in difficult situations.
Taekkyeon, designated as Korea’s Important Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 76 in 1983, was recognized for its history and value and was designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011, the first martial art to do so. And in 2020, it was adopted as an official event at the National Sports Festival, reaffirming its status.
However, in order for Taekkyeon to escape this crisis, continued interest and support from the public is needed more than ever.
Accordingly, VANK proposed designating June 1, when Taekkyeon was designated as Korea’s Important Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 76, as ‘Taekkyeon Day’ in order to raise public interest in Taekkyeon and promote its spread and development.
VANK explained, “Through Taekkyeon Day, we can remember our traditional martial arts, and through this, it can be a day to further promote Korean culture and spirit and reflect on the meaning and value of Taekkyeon.”
Seong Hye-seung, a youth researcher who is promoting this campaign, said, “I sincerely hope that Taekkyeon’s spirit of coexistence and co-prosperity, which dreams of a shared society, will spread widely and contribute to further strengthening the cultural pride of the Republic of Korea.”
Park Ki-tae, director of VANK, said, “In order to designate ‘Taekkyeon Day’ on June 1st as a legal memorial day, we will promote the excellence of Taekkyeon to the world along with related campaigns.”
Reporter Yang Hyeong-mo hmyang0307@donga.com See more of this reporter’s articles
