Jeonju with Herbs, Jinju with Raw Beef... Discovering "Living Heritage" through Bibimbap

National Folk Museum Publishes 21st English Edition of "International Journal of Intangible Heritage"

14 Papers Selected from 190 Worldwide Submissions

From Korean Bibimbap to Iran’s Nowruz Festival

World’s First Academic Journal on I

A study that views bibimbap not just as a dish but as a "living intangible heritage" embodying the accumulated history and identity of local communities has been published in an international academic journal.

Jeonju Bibimbap (left) is a dish combining rice from the Gimje Plain, local herbs, and the urban culture of Jeonju, whereas Jinju Bibimbap (right), topped with raw beef, reflects the development of the cattle market, the meat industry, and court music culture. National Folk Museum

The National Folk Museum announced on August 18 that it has published the English-language Vol. 21 of the International Journal of Intangible Heritage, the world’s first international academic journal dedicated to intangible heritage. To mark the journal’s 20th anniversary this year, 14 papers were selected from among 190 submissions from around the world for inclusion in this issue.

Notably, this issue features the study by Research Professor Oh Semina of the Institute of Intangible Cultural Studies, titled "Constituting the Intangible Heritage Meaning of Bibimbap: Focusing on the Jeonju and Jinju Communities." The research emphasizes that bibimbap is an intangible heritage containing the history and identity of communities and is transmitted through daily life. By examining how bibimbap has been passed down and modernized in Jeonju and Jinju, the study analyzes both the intangible heritage value of food culture and the potential for its sustainable transmission.

The study also relates the regional differences in bibimbap to the histories of each community. Jeonju Bibimbap is interpreted as a dish that utilizes rice from the Gimje Plain and local herbs, while incorporating various aspects of Jeonju’s urban culture, such as the Jeolla Provincial Office, government offices, political elections, tourism, and wedding banquets. Jinju Bibimbap, which is topped with raw beef, is analyzed as reflecting the area’s social history, including the development of the cattle market, the meat industry, and court music culture.

In addition to bibimbap, this volume contains research on intangible heritage from around the globe, including studies on minority languages and ecological knowledge in Italy, traditional weaving crafts in Bangladesh, and the Nowruz festival in Iran.

The International Journal of Intangible Heritage was launched in 2006, based on the adoption of UNESCO's "Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage" in 2003 and a resolution from the 2004 International Council of Museums (ICOM) General Conference in Seoul. The journal is indexed in six major academic journal databases, including the Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI), and maintains a Q1 ranking in the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR).

The journal is currently accepting submissions for its 22nd issue. The deadline for submission is August 31, and following the review process, the volume is scheduled for publication at the end of May next year.

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