A Study on the Contextual Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage

The Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) and the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) have been progressing with a focus on protection of cultural heritages as the common denominator. Especially in the case of intangible cultural heritage, it is protected and transmitted by humans so its safeguarding should be based on the perception of the relationship between the intangible cultural heritage and the surroundings with an anthropological viewpoint. The protection of relationships can be recognized from the context which may not be realized intuitively but nonetheless exists in any intangible cultural heritage. Contextual safeguarding of tangible cultural heritage in Korea institutions has been advancing under the name of Area-based Conservation of Cultural Heritage, and the purpose of this study is to apply Contextual safeguarding to intangible cultural heritage as well. For the contextual protection of intangible cultural properties, the concept of ‘Context’ of WHC as a category of heritage protection, ‘Safeguarding’ and ‘Practice’ by the community of ICH Convention as a methodology for the safeguarding of heritage.‘Contextual Safeguarding’ involves suggesting a measure to strengthen the power of transmission of Korea intangible cultural heritage through the safeguarding of practice by the community and the extended contextual scope of safeguarding. Safeguarding based on contextual perception is required to overcome the crisis of transmission disconnection of Korean intangible cultural properties and sustainable safeguarding. In addition, for Contextual Safeguarding to proceed the core community and conference group must be organized first, and the research studies, documentation, and education for transmission based on Contextual Safeguarding must supplement it at the same time.