gugak

Gugak, also called gukak, is the umbrella term for traditional Korean music, its repertoires, and performance practices. It encompasses court and ritual music, folk and regional songs, and modern works that draw on traditional materials. The term helps distinguish Korean musical culture from Western influences.

Its major strands include jeongak (court music) and aak (ritual and ceremonial music), as well as minsogak (folk and popular songs). Vocal genres include pansori, a narrative singing tradition accompanied by percussion, and the instrumental tradition known as sanjo, featuring virtuosic solo performance with rhythmic support. Contemporary gugak also includes fusion forms that blend traditional timbres with jazz, rock, and world music.

Instruments commonly used in gugak include stringed instruments such as gayageum and geomungo, a two-string haegeum fiddle, and wind instruments like the daegeum flute and the piri oboe. Percussion such as janggu (hourglass drum), buk (drum), and small gongs (kkwaenggwari) provide rhythmic accompaniment. Ensembles range from solo and small chamber groups to large court or ceremonial ensembles.

Gugak is stewarded by institutions in Korea dedicated to preservation and education. The National Gugak Center in Seoul and regional centers promote research, performance, and public outreach. In 2003, UNESCO inscribed pansori on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Today gugak continues to evolve, with schools, ensembles, orchestras, festivals, and recordings that reinterpret traditional forms while preserving historical repertoires.