This study investigates the historical and anthropological convergence between the institutional use of Subak (traditional Korean martial arts) in the military examinations for Chako-Gapsa (elite tiger-hunting soldiers of the Joseon Dynasty) and the oral testimonies of Kim Hak-cheon, the last practitioner of the Subak-chum (Subak Dance), which reflects the physical grappling traditions of northern hunters around Mount Baekdu. Moving away from conventional perspectives that restrict Subak to a primitive folk game or a mere precursor to modern Taekwondo or Taekkyon, this paper elucidates its identity as a tactical military system and a mechanism for survival in rugged mountain terrains. Furthermore, this study proposes a globalization strategy to brand Subak as a unique "Northeast Asian Northern Body Culture," establishing a competitive edge in the global martial arts heritage sector and facilitating its integration into international registries such as UNESCO and global open-access repositories (OER).