Korea's traditional music that was originally performed by farmers, known as “nong-ak, has been added to the Representative List of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
 
The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage made the decision during its ninth session in Paris on Wednesday.  
 
With the addition of "nong-ak", South Korea has 17 items on the UNESCO list. Other South Korean items on the list include the royal ancestral rituals and music of Jongmyo Shrine, and the traditional form of musical storytelling known as "pansori.”

On Monday, a collection of North Korean versions of the traditional Korean folk song, "Arirang," also made the list. The addition marks the first time for a cultural heritage from North Korea to be included on the UNESCO list.