The Music of South Korea

Grade 8
Guide question:
1. After watching a promotional video for
prospective tourists to visit South Korea,
What is your impression of the country and
their culture?
2. Are you familiar with the pop culture of South
Korea? Have you seen South Korean
television shows? Do you listen to K-pop?
What is it that attracts you to this particular
culture?
3. Would you like to know more about South
Korea’s traditional culture?
4. Explain your answer
Network

South Korea lies on the southern part of the Korean

Peninsula. It is surrounded by Japan on the east, China
on the west, and North Korea on its northern border.

South Korea is highly urbanized nation and is considered

the fourth largest economy in Asia.

This country follows the constitutional democracy form of

government. Their high urbanization and their affiliation
with the West have brought success to their popular
culture, specifically K-pop and K-drama which have
capture the world audience.
However not much is known about Korea’s
traditional music, Thus you will learn and more
about other aspects of Korean culture,
specifically traditional music.

Being a close neighbor of China, the traditional

music of Korea is strongly influenced by China
and Mongolia. In writings about Chinese history,
it is said that in 200 BC people from China
passed through the Korean Peninsula. Also, note
that Japan is a close neighbor of Korea.

This explains the similarities found in the music

of the three East Asian nations.
For the longest time, Korea has practiced the belief of
shamanism. An act of communicating with the spirit world
through a medium called the shaman. The shaman can also
cure people in need.

Shamanism became the way of connecting themselves with

nature and creation. Thus the earliest form of music in
Korea are found in a Chinese manuscripts of harvest
celebration, which included songs and dances.

The tradition of the harvest celebration is practiced up to

this day. Shamans make use of different musical
instruments during their ceremonies: a small gong with a
narrow rim, flutes, reeds (aerophones) fiddles
(chordophones) and changgo, a membranophone.
The Different Korean
Musical Instruments

1. Changgo - it is an
hourglass -shaped,
two headed drum ,
struck by a stick on
its left head and the
hand, or a padded
stick on the right
side.
2. Piri- it is a cylindrical
double reed aerophone
that has a saxophone
like sound this
instrument is used for a
wide variety of activities,
from folk festivals to
private gatherings.
3 . Taegum - This instrument
has six finger holes, a
membrane covered holes at
the end of the flute. One
dominant characteristic of the
flute is its lenght of about 80
centimeters and a big
mouthpiece. Just like any other
Asian bamboo flute, the
taegum gives a serene
ethereal feel to its listeners.
4. Kumungo - It is a six
stringed zither (chordophone)
which has its roots from the
Chinese qin. The strings of
the instrument are place over
16 bridges, which serve as
frets, to determine their pitch
the instrument is played by
plucking the strings with a
wooden stick.
5. Haegum - It is a two stringed
chordophone that has a strong
resemblance with the Chinese erhu.
The end of its neck is bent toward the
strings which is unusual as most
stringed instruments have necks
going against the strings to ease the
pull.

The strings are then fastened to the

pegs, Haegum is played through
bowing with the bow located between
the two strings.
6. Kagayum - it is a zither
(chordophone) with 12 strings
and 12 bridges It has a
different warm timbre from its
Chinese and Japanese
counterparts, which produce
bright tones

The Kagayum is one of the

prominent traditional
instruments of Korea and is
used in practicality any form
of ritual, festival and
entertainment.
Sijo- It is a type of traditional
vocal music based on the
three line form of classical
Korean poetry. This may be
sung without accompaniment
or with any of the following
instruments (especially in
formal settings) drum, double
reed, flute, and fiddle this is
also a form of korean court
music.
Pansori - It is the
Korean folk genre
usually performed by a
singer or a narrator
describing in song the
folk tales of Korea, and
also the issues in a
Korean’s everyday life.
Spoken narrations are
interspersed with songs, body
movements, and fan gestures.
The earliest pansori on record was
done in 1775. With government
support, revival of the pansori was
initiated in the early 20th century.
Today, one can find pansori done
in professional performances and
recordings.
Korean Pop Music (K-Pop)

Is a monicker for South Korean popular music,

which covers several genres including dance pop,
pop ballad, electropop, hip-hop, and rhythm and
blues (RnB). K-pop has a unique way of training
members of a band.

Band members are usually required to train for

several hours a day, and they need to live in a
regulated manner for the members to get closely
acquainted with one another. They believe that a
group can perform above standards when its
members are closely related at a paricular level.
Big Idea

K-Pop is said to be a product of

South Korea’s industrialization
and strong Western influence. It
shows that music and culture is
closely related to the general
character of a country.
K-pop is also a product of South Korea’s
internationalization, as its music is a mix of
Western and Korean culture. K-pop
groups and musicians are also carefully
marketed worldwide with their unique
music styles, movements, and packaging.

This strategy has proven to be very

effective in reaching a global market.
Today, K-pop music is accepted worldwide
and has become a popular music genre.
Activity 3 watch and Listen to a popular K-pop group
Agreement # 1

A. Answer the following.

1. Discuss the differences and similarities of sijo and pansori.

2. Why is K-pop considered a product of South Korea’s
internationalization?

B. You are a talent scout, and you are tasked to form either a boy
band or an all-girl group. You need to take the latest music hits of any
of the two gender- type groups, and let your newly formed performers
imitate the sound and movements of the original group. This will be
presented to a new music company that is seeking new talents.

Eventually, if taken in, your group will be on contract with the music
company for two years.

Expect a worldwide audience as this group will be marketed as the

best K-pop group known.
Agreement #2
1. In your opinion, is there a connection between
Korea’s traditional music and K-pop? Justify your
answer.
2. A country that is economically sufficient is said to
have a better chance of taking care of its culture. Do
you think that South Korea, being one of ASia’s
economic powers, is able to do this for both its
traditional music and K-pop?
Explain.
3. Do you think that the Philippines can have its “P-pop”
by following the formula set and implemented by
Korean music producers? How should Filipinos do
it? What do you think will be the distinct character of
the music of P-pop?
Closing Prayer