Music like Kim Jung Mi

The Music of South Korea has evolved over the course of the decades since the end of the Korean War, and has its roots in the music of the Korean people, who have inhabited the Korean peninsula for over a millennium. Contemporary South Korean music can be divided into three different main categories: Traditional Korean folk music, popular music, or K-pop, and Western-influenced non-popular music.

Korean traditional music is also known as Kugak (national music). The first evidence of Korean music appeared in the extant text of Samguk sagi (History of the three kingdoms) in 1145, which described two string-like instruments; Kayagum and Komun’go. Traditional Korean music was brought to heights of excellence under the Lee kings of the Joseon Dynasty (Chosun Dynasty) between 1392-1897. During the Chosun Dynasty, a social hierarchy was observed with the King and the Yangban (government officials, generals, and the elite) at the top and the Sangmin (merchants, craftsman) and slaves at the bottom. There were two forms of music: Jeongak (“orthodox music”) and Minsokak (“people’s music”). Jeongak was the music category that the Yangban listened to for enjoyment and was played during state rituals like banquets, military processions, etc. Jeongak was considered as aristocratic music. However, Minsokak or Nongak (farmer’s music) dominated among the common people. The different types of people’s music were: Pansori, Pungmul (Samul) Nori, and Minyo (folk song). Pansori became definite in the seventeenth century and gained respect over time. It is now considered as the ideal traditional music in Contemporary South Korea. Pansori requires a solo singer as well as a percussionist. This type of music contains body language, emotions, and sounds observed in nature. Pungmul Nori is the traditional Korean Percussion music with the sound of drums standing out. As for Minyo, it was enjoyed by commoners while Nongak was played during agrarian festivals. Folk songs were not specific; as in, the features varied among different regions. The most famous folk song of South (and North) Korea is “Arirang”. The popularity of this song sky-rocketed after it was sung solo at the screening of a silent nationalistic film produced by Na Un’gyu in 1926. There are several regional variations of this song.