International Ondol Society urges presidential office, Cultural Heritage Administration to pursue 'K-Ondol Globalization Project'
Calls are growing for South Korea to pursue a national globalization project centered on ondol, the traditional underfloor heating system at the heart of hanok residential culture, as the global wave of K-culture continues to expand.
The International Ondol Society said Monday that as South Korea grows into a cultural powerhouse, the country must seize the moment to develop ondol into a future cultural asset for all of humanity.
The society described ondol not merely as a heating system but as a complex cultural asset embodying the accumulated wisdom of Korea's ancestors — one that integrates fire, stone, earth, architecture, nature and human life. It said ondol could offer fresh inspiration for residential cultures worldwide as they grapple with climate change, energy challenges and the demands of sustainable construction.
The society submitted a proposal to the presidential office on Sept. 28 urging the government to launch a "K-Ondol Globalization National Project," conduct a comprehensive survey of ondol culture under the Cultural Heritage Administration's oversight, and urgently review the possibility of designating "Korean traditional ondol culture" as a national intangible cultural heritage.
The society also said the government should establish a support system for youth education, entrepreneurship and the transmission of ondol traditions, and pursue a national research-and-development project integrating traditional ondol with eco-friendly and smart construction technology. The ultimate goal, it said, is securing inscription on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A separate proposal urging the Cultural Heritage Administration to pursue UNESCO recognition of ondol culture was also submitted.
Before submitting the proposals, the society adopted a resolution on advancing national policy for the globalization of ondol, signed by President Kim Jun-bong, Co-President Park Gang-cheol and Seo Jeong-ho, chair of the committee pursuing ondol's designation as a world cultural heritage. The resolution commits the society to systematically researching ondol's historical, technological, architectural and lifestyle-cultural value; identifying and protecting ondol practitioners and transmission communities; integrating modern eco-friendly and smart technologies; and jointly organizing an international ondol forum.
smh@heraldcorp.com
