Korea's Spirit Takes the Stage in Europe: National Intangible Heritage Center's 'Pungjang KOREA'
Published
The National Intangible Heritage Center's 'Pungjang KOREA' is spreading the excitement of Korean traditional music in Europe. Pungjang is a traditional percussion music played in nongak, characterized by performances on instruments such as the kkwaenggwari, jing, janggu, and buk. This performance was prepared with the aim of introducing Korea's intangible cultural heritage to the world.
Pungjang was originally music in which villagers gathered together to celebrate the beginning and harvest of farming and to share the strength of their community. Performers create fast, powerful rhythms with various instruments, and audiences can also feel the atmosphere as they move their shoulders along together. Because of these qualities, pungjang is regarded as a representative example that clearly shows the 'sinmyeong' of Korean traditional culture.
The National Intangible Heritage Center stated that, through this performance, it wishes to present traditional art not as a heritage locked inside a museum, but as a culture that is still alive today. The performance includes not only traditional instrumental playing but also segments in which audience members take part directly, and it was structured in a way that helps foreign audiences easily understand Korean culture. Through this, interest in Korean traditional art is expected to broaden.
This event is also an example of how Korean culture is received overseas. Korea's intangible cultural heritage has been passed down through generations, and preserving and sharing it remains an important task within the country as well. Attention is focused on how traditional arts such as pungjang will be received by younger generations and overseas audiences in the future.
Sources: 전북도민일보
More South Korea news
- Digital TVET master's program launches in South Korea
- Gyeongbuk health group donates 100 boxes of grapes to children
- US Big Tech Pursues Multi-Trillion Won Investments in South Korean Data Centers Amid Uncertainty
- KB Insurance to Hold Open Recruitment for New Employees in Second Half of 2026
- Kolmar Korea Wins CES Beauty Tech Best Innovation Award for Second Straight Year, Setting World First
- China Closes In on Korea's Core LNG Carrier Market, Expanding from Mega-Vessels to Equipment
- China's Rapid Technological Development: South Korea Must Change Its Regulations and Labor System
- Ambassador Michelle Steel: American Companies Operating in Korea Should Compete in a Fair Environment