The Cultural Heritage Administration has added the Korean wrestling form known as ssireum to the national heritage list as National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 131, respecting the deliberation results from the Cultural Heritage Committee, an advisory organ of the CHA. Ssireum is a competitive traditional game in which two opponents grasp each other’s waist belts (satba) and apply diverse techniques in an attempt to drive the other to the ground. Based on the robust community culture of Korea, ssireum has been transmitted across generations to the present as one of the classic seasonal practices of the country. The designation of ssireum as national heritage was decided after considering the following aspects. Ssireum is actively practiced in diverse forms in contemporary Korean society across the entire nation; its historical significance has been confirmed through the representation of ssireum in artifacts, documents, and paintings dating from an extended period from the Three Kingdoms (57 B.C.–A.D. 668) to modern times; the rules and techniques of ssireum manifest unique Korean characteristics; and ssireum provides an important research subject for understanding the general features of Korean traditional games. The Cultural Heritage Administration will strive to ensure a better appreciation of ssireum among the broader public by supporting documentation and a diverse range of academic research efforts.