South Korea aims to join forces with North Korea to seek UNESCO recognition for the traditional martial art of taekwondo as a shared intangible cultural heritage, officials said Monday. The Cultural Heritage Committee, an advisory body to the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), has selected taekwondo as the next candidate for a joint or expanded inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during a recent meeting, according to the KHS. "We plan to submit an application to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguard of the Intangible Cultural Heritage by March," a KHS official said on condition of anonymity. The move comes after Pyongyang submitted its own application in March 2024 to list "Taekwon-Do, traditional martial art in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea." The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is North Korea's official name. A review of the North's bid is currently under way, with a final decision expected during the committee's 21st session in Xiamen, China, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 5. If successful, the move would mark the