Korea has produced music for thousands of years,into the modern day. After the division of Korea in 1945,both North and South Korea have produced their own styles of music.
Korean court music comprises three main musical genres:aak,an imported form of Chinese ritual music;a pure Korean form called hyangak;and a combination of Chinese and Korean styles called dangak.
Hyangak,literally "indigenous/native music,folks music" is a traditional form of Korean court music with origins in the Three Kingdoms period. It is often accompanied by traditional folk dances of Korea,known as hyangak jeongjae. These dances are performed in front of audiences—as opposed to the square dance more familiar to Westerners,which is primarily for the participants' enjoyment.
The hanbok is traditional clothing of the Korean people. The term hanbok is primarily used by South Koreans;North Koreans refer to the clothes as chosŏn-ot. The clothes are also worn in the Korean diaspora,especially by Koreans in China. Koryo-saram - ethnic Koreans living in the lands of the former Soviet Union - also retained a hanbok tradition.
Dance in Korea began with shamanistic early rituals five thousand years ago and now ranges from folk dance to newly created and adopted contemporary dance.
Sinawi,sometimes spelled shinawi,is a traditional Korean music. It is performed improvisationally by a musical ensemble,and traditionally accompanies the rites of Korean shamanism. The style first emerged in the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces,but is now widespread. The traditional sinawi ensemble followed the principle of sam-hyeon-yuk-gak (三絃六角),with two flutes,a haegeum,a daegeum,a janggu hourglass-drum,and a large buk drum. However,today other traditional Korean instruments such as the gayageum and geomungo are also often included.
The taepyeongso,also called hojok,hojeok 호적號笛/胡笛,nallari,or saenap,嗩吶,is a Korean double reed wind instrument in the shawm or oboe family. It is possibly descended from the Persian sorna and is closely related to the Chinese suona. It has a conical wooden body made from yuja (citron),daechu (jujube),or yellow mulberry wood,with a metal mouthpiece and cup-shaped metal bell. It originated during the Goryeo period (918–1392).
Pungmul is a Korean folk music tradition that includes drumming,dancing,and singing. Most performances are outside,with dozens of players all in constant motion. Pungmul is rooted in the dure farming culture. It was originally played as part of farm work,on rural holidays,at other village community-building events,and to accompany shamanistic rituals,mask dance dramas,and other types of performance. During the late 1960s and 1970s it expanded in meaning and was actively used in political protest during the pro-democracy movement,although today it is most often seen as a performing art. Based on 1980s research,this kind of music was extensively studied in Chindo Island.
The buk (Korean: 북) is a traditional Korean drum. While the term buk is a native Korean word used as a generic term meaning "drum",it is most often used to refer to a shallow barrel-shaped drum,with a round wooden body that is covered on both ends with animal skin. Buk are categorized as hyeokbu which are instruments made with leather,and has been used for jeongak and folk music.
Traditional Korean musical instruments comprise a wide range of string,wind,and percussion instruments. Many traditional Korean musical instruments derive from Chinese musical instruments.
National Intangible Cultural Heritage (Korean: 국가무형문화재) is a national-level designation within the heritage preservation system of South Korea for intangible cultural heritage. This and other national-level designations are maintained by South Korea's Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA).
The namsadang is a Korean itinerant troupe which consists of male performers who present various performing arts such as acrobatics,singing,dancing and playing like a circus. It is said that namsadang was spontaneously formed before 1900 during the Joseon period and used to wander about marketplaces and villages. The troupe was considered the lowest class in society along with cheonmin or baekjeong (butchers),so that very few historical documents remain on them. However,since a record that a puppet show was performed during the Silla period has been found,it is assumed that similar types of itinerant companies appeared in Korean history a long time ago.
Bonguk geom in Joseon era Korean martial arts referred both to a type of sword and a style of swordsmanship.
The Korean barrel drum is a shallow,barrel-shaped drum used in several types of Korean music,one of the many traditional Korean drums. This variety of drum has a round wooden body that is covered on both ends with animal skin. They are categorized as hyekbu which are instruments made with leather,and have been used for jeongak and folk music.
Jeogori or Tseogori is a basic upper garment of the hanbok,a traditional Korean garment,which has been worn by both men and women. Men usually wear the jeogori with a baji or pants while women wear the jeogori with chima,or skirts. It covers the arms and upper part of the wearer's body.
Boheoja is a Korean court music repertoire originated from China. It was introduced from Song Dynasty during Goryeo Dynasty period which at the time was ruled by King Yejong.
Yeongsan hoesang is a Korean court music repertoire originated from Buddhist music. Originally sung with 7 words chanting "Yeongsan hoesang bulbosal",the piece told the Buddha’s sermon in Mount Yeongsan,India,according to Lotus Sutra. After a long period,the piece is now performed instrumentally. There are 3 versions (Sam-yeongsanhoesang) including the play for wind instruments,strings and combination of string and wind instruments.
Yangju byeolsandae nori (Korean: 양주별산대놀이) is Korea's traditional mask drama,registered as an Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Korea. It is performed primarily in April (chopail),May (danoh),July (Basin) and August (Thanksgiving) and also sometimes in a ceremony which prays for rain. The name originates from the place where mask-playing started,Yangju province in Korea. It was the first mask play to be designated as an "Important Intangible Cultural Property".
Baltal is a form of puppet theatre from Korea. It is one of Korea's Important Intangible Cultural Properties.
Sori Choi (Korean: 최소리) is a Korean traditional percussionist known for performing traditional Korean musical styles and contemporary art music by modern composers.
