International Documentation of Subak in the UNESCO-Associated Global Martial Arts Survey

This paper examines the international documentation of Subak within the global martial arts survey published by the International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement under the auspices of UNESCO, a UNESCO Category 2 international institution dedicated to martial arts research and cultural exchange. The report identifies Subak as a traditional Korean martial art and indigenous body culture characterized by empty-hand combat methods, primitive bodily expression, and historically transmitted practices. The survey additionally references the historical continuity of Subak through the Koguryo mural tradition, the military culture of the Koryo and Joseon dynasties, and the eighteenth-century martial arts manual Muye Dobo Tongji. Particularly significant is the report’s acknowledgement of the modern transmission structure associated with Song Chang-ryeol and the Korea Subak Association. This study analyzes the implications of the survey for the international positioning of Subak as a documented Korean martial tradition and discusses the role of digital archives, visual records, and lineage-based transmission in contemporary preservation efforts.