Several areas of Korea have their own distinct variations of juldarigi, and similar tug-of-war games with connections to agriculture are found in rural communities across Southeast Asia.

It is inscribed in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List from 2015 as "Tugging rituals and games" along with other similar forms in Cambodia, the Philippines and Viet Nam.

The outcome of a ritualised contest between the two sides of a village (East and West) was seen as an indicator of the abundance (or otherwise) of that year's rice crop, which would be harvested in the autumn; as a result, juldarigi and similar folk sports are predominant in the rice-growing areas of the South.

Both teams repair to their respective ropes and offer prayers for victory; this rite is known as goyu (Korean: 고유; Hanja: 告由).

[3] The teams then gather at the festival site and perform further prayers, this time for the safety and prosperity of the village; sacrifices are also offered to Teojushin, the earth goddess.

At dawn, after the completion of these ceremonies, the two teams fetch their ropes to the site; this involves a procession with flags and costumes, accompanied by percussion music.

[3] A children's version, known as gosat juldarigi (Korean: 고삿줄다리기, "alley tug-of-war") is often played in the streets before the main event.

[3][11] Similar communal tug-of-war games take place in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, in all cases having a connection to fecundity and the prospect of a bountiful harvest.