The Cultural Heritage Administration on Tuesday said the lyrical folk song and unofficial anthem "Arirang" will be included in the national list of important intangible cultural assets.
South and North Korean versions of the catchy folk song have already been added to UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
But it has not yet been listed here because regulations required performance or craft traditions to be the heritage of a person or group of people, but "Arirang" has no author, specific group of performers or regional home.
The CHA revised regulations last year so that it can list any cultural expression of heritage value, whether or not anybody can be identified as inheritor to the tradition.
