Replacing Faith in Spirits with Faith in Heritage: A Story of the Management of the Gangneung Danoje Festival

Abstract

First paragraph of introduction: The government of the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea) first began to protect intangible cultural heritage on a national level in 1962 when the Cultural Property Protection Law (CPPL) came into effect. This comprehensive heritage legislation established a methodology through which the rich performative and artistic traditions of the country could be saved from extinction (or resurrected). Each certified artist was to transmit his or her skills and regularly perform or exhibit artistry. From March 2016, intangible cultural heritage was removed from the CPPL and is now governed by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding and Promotion Law (ICH-SPL). The implications for Korean intangible heritage managed for both preservation and promotion will become clearer with time, but it is significant that the new law was deemed necessary to bring Korean management of intangible cultural heritage into greater conformance with UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003).