Korean Traditional Music(Hanguk Eumak)

"Hanguk Eumak," or "gugak" literally meaning Korean music, is a term that encompasses both gugak, the national music passed down for centuries and "changjak gugak," the newly composed national music for modern tastes.

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• Ensemble of national classical music performing Sujecheon (Long Life as Eternal as the Heavens)

Music and dance were means of religious worship and this tradition continued through the Three Kingdoms Period (57 B.C. - A.D. 668). More than 30 musical instruments were used during the Three Kingdoms period, and particularly noteworthy was the "hyeonhakgeum" (black crane zither), which Wang San-ak of Goguryeo (37 B.C. - A.D. 668) created by altering the seven-stringed zither of Jin Dynasty China. Also notable was the "gayageum," a zither used in Gaya (42-562) made by Ureuk of Silla Kingdom (57 B.C. - A.D. 935). The 12-string gayageum is still played in modern Korea. There is also modern adaptation of gayageum consisting of 20 to 25 strings also popular among learners of traditional music.

Goryeo (918-1392) followed the musical tradition of Silla (57 B.C. - A.D. 935) in its early years, but came to have more diversified genres later. There were three types of music in Goryeo - "dang-ak," meaning music from Chinese Tang Dynasty, "hyangak" or village music, and "a-ak" or court music. Some Goryeo music was inherited by Joseon (1392-1910) and is still used in ceremonies today, especially those involving ancestral worship.

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• A birthday celebration of royal family

During the Joseon Dynasty, music was respected as an important element of rituals and ceremonies. Early in the dynasty, two offices dealing with musical matters were established and efforts were made to arrange musical texts.


As a result, Akhakgwe-beom, a canon of music, was put together in 1493. The book classified music to be played at court into three categories: ceremonial music, Chinese music and native songs. During King Sejong's reign in particular, scores of new musical instruments were developed.

Such added richness to the highest court music "jongmyo jereak," the royal shrine music to pay respect to deceased kings and queens. Jongmyo jereak was designated intangible cultural heritage of the world by UNESCO, together with "jongmyo jere" the royal ancestral rite.

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• Mask dance

Meanwhile, Folk music, which is the other half of gugak, also enjoyed its rich tradition of folk songs or "minyo", farmers' music or "nongak", shaman ritual music or "muak" and theater music used for mask dance or "talchum."

In the religious sphere there is "beompae," which is a series of long, drawn-out notes played during Buddhist ritual ceremony and "seungmu" a slow, solo dance by "biguni" or female monk among other musical performances.

"Pansori," traditional opera and "sanjo," solo instrumental music, were originally forms of folk music but have become art music, after they were sponsored by mainly high society in the late Joseon Period.

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Separately "changjak gugak," or modern forms of gugak, is open to wider experimentation with traditional music. The best example is "samulnori," a percussion quartet which refined the outdoor music of nongak to put it on the stage in 1978. It celebrated its 30th anniversary of successful performances in 2008.

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• (A) ggwaenggwari (B) jing (C) janggo (D) buk

Other gugak genres are also in search of new possibilities through joint performances with western music, B-boy breakdancers and more.