A Study on Improving Operating System of an Intangible Cultural Heritage by an Ecological Perspective

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that transmissions of an intangible cultural heritage in Korea may be cut off because it is separated from human and social environment and protected and managed under the national system. In addition, another purpose is to criticize concept and method dichotomy in the current institution from an ecological perspective and consider the problem that the intangible cultural heritages are transmitted mainly by holders having skills and accomplishments by distinguishing them from others.Furthermore, the last purpose is to suggest a direction of policy emphasizing an importance of establishment of environment which allows nurture, change and development of local people, which may ensure continuous transmission in order to solve the problem and a transmission system of the intangible cultural heritage by using a principle in which the system is operated by self-recovery and natural rule of the ecology.The findings of this study show that seven problems can be analyzed by reviewing concept establishment and protection and transmission measure of intangible cultural heritages according to the Cultural Properties Protection Law, based on the ecological perspective. The protection and transmission methods of the intangible cultural heritage through the cultural heritage ecology are suggested by applying ecological theory to it. The intangible cultural heritage ecology defined in this paper means ‘a sustainable community consisting of intangible cultural heritage, subject of activity and physical environment.’ Since it is operated according to the principle reflecting the rules and features of natural ecology, it can kee system through self-recovery without an external intervention, as the case of natural ecology.