An Ethnographic and Tactical Analysis of the Mount Baekdu Hunting Tradition in CCTV's Documentary on Kim Hak-cheon: Reconstructing the Martial and Ritual Lineage of the Joseon Chako-Gapsa

This study conducts a rigorous multidisciplinary analysis of a rare documentary broadcasted by China Central Television (CCTV) featuring the late Master Kim Hak-cheon, the last recognized traditional hunter (Sanposu) of the Mount Baekdu region. By evaluating the visual and narrative components of the documentary—specifically the transportation of captured apex predators, the execution of the Subak-chum (Subak Dance), and advanced acoustic/kinetic animal mimicry—this paper establishes a direct lineage to the Chako-Gapsa (elite tiger-hunting forces) of the Joseon Dynasty. Moving beyond conventional folklore studies, this paper positions Subak-chum as a highly evolved system of tactical deception, wilderness survival conditioning, and martial ritualization. Ultimately, this research provides the necessary academic framework to authenticate Subak as an irreplaceable element of Northeast Asian frontier body culture on the global stage.