21 Functional and Entertainment Training Assistants Become Honorary Holders

For those aged 75 and over with more than 20 years of training assistant experience
Jongmyo Jeryeak's Choi Chung-woong and Lee Sang-yong, Pansori's Kang Jeong-ja, etc.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jong-gil] For the first time, transmission education assistants, who are positioned between the holders and trainees of skills and arts in the national intangible cultural heritage transmission system, will be designated as honorary holders. On the 21st, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced its plan to recognize twenty-one transmission education assistants from fifteen national intangible cultural heritage categories, who have found it difficult to continue transmission activities due to age, as honorary holders.

The honorary holder system was originally established to honor the contributions of holders who find it difficult to conduct transmission education and transmission activities normally, and to build a virtuous cycle system at transmission sites. Since its inception in 2001, seventy people have been recognized, and fifty-four have passed away. As opinions steadily arose that transmission education assistants who have contributed to intangible cultural heritage transmission for a long time should also be recognized as honorary holders, the Cultural Heritage Administration partially amended the Act on the Protection and Promotion of Intangible Cultural Heritage and its enforcement decree in 2018. This opened the path for transmission education assistants to become honorary holders.

The candidates are those aged 75 or older with more than 20 years of experience as transmission education assistants who wish to become honorary holders. The Cultural Heritage Administration finalized twenty-one individuals after review by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee. An official explained, “We used criteria such as the level of mastery and realization of skills, arts, or knowledge according to the standard, the period and achievements of assisting transmission education, and the sustainability of transmission activities.”

The transmission education assistants announced as honorary holders include Choi Chung-ung and Lee Sang-yong for Jongmyo Jeryeak, Kang Jeong-ja for Pansori, Kim Guk-ja and Park Bu-deok for Ganggangsullae, Cha Ju-taek and Choi Dong-gyu for Gangneung Nongak, Jo Soon-ae for Jinju Geommu, Jeong Cheon-guk for Yeongsan Soemori Daegi, Park Jeong-ja, Lee In-seop, and Kim Yong-woo for Dancheongjang, and Lee Gyu-jong for Myeongju weaving. When transmission education assistants become honorary holders, their transmission support funds and funeral consolation payments increase. The monthly support fund is 1,000,000 KRW for honorary holders and 700,000 KRW for transmission education assistants. The funeral consolation payment is 1,200,000 KRW and 600,000 KRW, respectively.

The Cultural Heritage Administration will collect opinions from various sectors during the 30-day announcement period and decide on the recognition of honorary holders after deliberation by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.