An Analysis of Characteristics and Factors of Changes in Intangible Cultural Heritage System of Korea since 2000: Focused on View of Historical Institutionalism

This study is aimed at examining the historical process and the recent flow of the intangible cultural heritage system, and analyzing the influence factors that brought a change of system, by applying a theory of historical institutionalism. This study found that external factors that led a change of intangible cultural heritage system of Korea before 2000, are the advent of Kim Dae-jung Government and a change of regime in 1997, and after 2000, joining Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO in 2005 according to a conclusion in 2003. The internal factors that show path dependency were analyzed centering around policy-making structure and policy ideology of intangible cultural heritage, both before and after 2000. As a result, this study found that these internal factors established unique characteristics and historic nature of Korean intangible cultural heritage system, as well as gradual and sustained changes.