The Korean combat sport traditionally associated with Chuseok celebrations is ssireum.
Ssireum is a form of Korean wrestling in which two competitors grasp cloth belts, called satba, and try to make an opponent touch the ground with a body part other than the feet. Its contests traditionally took place at community festivals and holiday gatherings.
Chuseok ssireum competitions historically provided popular entertainment during the harvest season. Victories could bring prestige and practical prizes, and the sport helped turn a local celebration into a public spectacle. Modern ssireum uses organized rules and weight classes, but it retains the belt-grappling style.
Ssireum is different from taekwondo, which is primarily a striking martial art, and from Japanese sumo. In 2018, ssireum was jointly inscribed by North and South Korea on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.