UNESCO evaluators recommend Korea's hanji paper-making for the intangible heritage list

5 November 2026

UNESCO's evaluation body has recommended the traditional knowledge and skills of making hanji, Korea's handmade paper, for the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Hanji is made from the bark of mulberry trees, and the craft has been handed down for about a thousand years.
Cutting, steaming, boiling and peeling the bark brings a whole community together; UNESCO said the work rests on cooperation, shared responsibility and care for nature.
The final decision rests with the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The committee meets from 30 November to 5 December in Xiamen, China.
South Korea already has 23 elements on the list; the latest was jang, the culture of making fermented sauces, added in 2024.
The Korea Heritage Service recognises four artisans as hanji-making masters.