‘YUT NORI’ RECEIVES GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT

[Anchor Lead]

Traditional Korean games are drawing the global spotlight. Some are calling for inscribing the Korean board game "yut nori" as a World Heritage. The game has been modeled by some 80 countries to create their own versions. Meanwhile a national yut nori contest has been held in Korea.

[Pkg]

Bobusangchon in Yesan, Chungcheongnam-do Province is a re-enaction of the Joseon-era streets. Some 200 Koreans and foreigners from across the nation have gathered to play yut nori in groups of five. One of the teams consists of an elderly mother and her four middle-aged daughters. This team of college classmates donning uniforms represents Gyeongsangnam-do Province. Yut sticks have one flat side and one round side. The odds of achieving one of the five combinations - do, gae, geol, yut or mo -- depend on the throw and how they land. The players must cast the sticks over their shoulder while standing, and over their waist while seated.

[Soundbite] Kang Sung-hwa(Changwon resident) : "I've come all the way from Changwon. It's fun to participate in this event."

[Soundbite] Lisa Mari(USA)

At a seminar held before the contest, experts called for designating the game as a World Heritage, saying board games modeled after yut nori have been found around the world. Petroglyphs featured on the traditional yut board have even been found in Mexico.

[Soundbite] Kim Hyun-shik(Chungnam Arts and Culture Foundation) : "More than 80 countries play Yut Nori in some form. We should inscribe it as a World Heritage as soon as possible to protect our heritage and help it become a game that people worldwide can enjoy together."

The Chungnam Arts and Culture Foundation plans to promote the designation of yut nori as a World Heritage through inter-Korean yut nori competitions and academic seminars.