South Korea, which spearheaded the global spread and modernization of taekwondo, is facing criticism over its delayed UNESCO listing effort, letting North Korea take the lead for early registration on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Although North Korea's listing does not block South Korea's move for its separate listing of the martial art, criticism is rising over its belated attempt to seek a co-listing with North Korea, which has remained unresponsive. According to a social media post on Monday by Huh Min, head of the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), North Korea’s application — titled "Taekwon-Do, traditional martial art in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" — is expected to receive a recommendation for inscription following an evaluation by UNESCO experts. While an evaluation body's recommendation is technically an advisory step, such assessments almost always lead to inscription. The final decision will be made during the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, scheduled to take place in Xiamen, China, Nov. 30 to Dec. 5. Th