Foreword

Congratulations to all on the 17th volume of the International Journal of Intangible Heritage. We all are heartily aware that Intangible Cultural Heritage is something we must safeguard and transmit to the generations to come. As the leading platform to better understand, research, exchange and communicate ICH around the world, the IJIH remains active in its mission of promoting relevant discussions on issues around ICH. It is proud to see the academic achievements so far being indexed by A&HCI, SCOPUS, MLAIB, BAS and KCI.

For this issue, 35 papers were submitted from 17 countries. Fourteen papers were carefully selected, refereed and edited through three rounds of peer review, in accordance with the standards set in conjunction with ICOM last year. Although the process required considerable time and more effort than ever before, the expertise and fairness we pursue will resource and nourish progress in this regard, I believe.

This volume presents various novel themes and topics. To mention a few examples, ‘Our Culture is Dying’: Safeguarding versus representation in the implementation of the UNESCO ICH Convention pays attention to the tendency to represent cultural elements to outside audiences for identity, pride or money-making reasons, rather than for safeguarding them. Also, The other side of the coin: Towards a narrative analysis of Dogri folk tales illustrates the contextual structure and cohesive formation of the Dogri folk tales through field research.

Lastly, I appreciate all the authors and contributors who have submitted their valuable research outcomes no matter whether they are published or not. I would like to thank the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Roslyn Russell and the Editorial Committee for paving this wonderful journey. Unconditional support from our external peer reviewers, meticulous copy editing by Danielle N. Carter, and finally, our colleagues at the National Folk Museum of Korea – thank you very much for all your hard work and diligence.

Kim Jong-dae
Director General
National Folk Museum of Korea