Traditional tide‑tracking system becomes Korea's Intangible Cultural Heritage

Korea’s centuries-old knowledge of “multtae,” the traditional system for calculating tidal movements, has been officially designated as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) announced Wednesday. Multtae, literally meaning “tide time” in Korean, refers to the collective knowledge and system used to predict the rise and fall of ocean tides — a vital practice that for centuries has guided coastal life across the Korean Peninsula. It serves both as a calendar of tidal cycles and as a practical science enabling people to anticipate the timing of high and low tides. In Korea, the west coast has a higher tidal range, with up to nine meters in area near Incheon, while the east coast sees the tidal range lower than one meter. The KHS said multtae is a “community transmission” heritage item, without an individual or group deserving recognition, for the knowledge has long been shared and practiced collectively among coastal residents. Historical records trace the use of multtae back to the 12th century. Poet Yi Kyu-bo is believed to have written a

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