Ministry of Culture to Hold "Gugak Day" Ceremony and Launch 10-Day "Gugak Week" Nationwide

Commemorating the First Record of "Yeominrak" in the Annals of King Sejong
Performances, Exhibitions, and Hands-on Events Nationwide, Including Gwanghwamun

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on June 4 that it will hold the second annual "Gugak Day" commemoration ceremony under the theme "Gugak, Becoming the Resonance of Daily Life" at the Yeakdang Hall of the National Gugak Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, at 5 p.m. on June 5, designated as "Gugak Day."

Gugak Day was officially designated as a statutory commemorative day last year under the “Gugak Promotion Act.” The date was established to mark June 5 (lunar calendar) of the 29th year of King Sejong’s reign, the first time "Yeominrak," meaning "enjoyed together with the people," was recorded in the Annals of King Sejong.

Minister Choi Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will attend the ceremony to celebrate Gugak Day and encourage gugak musicians. Approximately 400 people, including figures from the gugak and broader cultural and artistic communities, as well as pre-registered audience members, will attend, and the event will be broadcast live on Gugak Broadcasting. The ceremony will feature the presentation of the "Republic of Korea Yeominrak Award" to individuals and organizations that have contributed to the promotion of gugak. Yeongdong County in North Chungcheong Province, which has contributed to the development of regional gugak, and Kim Changhwan, Artistic Director of the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Provincial Gugak Orchestra, will receive commendations from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Celebratory performances are also scheduled. The National Dance Company of Korea will perform "Gomuak," a piece wishing for the prosperity of gugak through the sound of drums, while the gugak group "Sain Nori" will present "Nori," a modern reinterpretation of folk music. The Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra, sorikkun Park Aeri, and the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education Gugak Choir will perform "The Country We Want." On the outdoor lawn at the National Gugak Center, audiences can enjoy performances such as "Daechwita" by the Wanju Children's Marching Band, a 65-member sangmo nori (hat-twirling dance), "Jindo Drum Dance" by the National Youth Dance Company, and "Pangut" by the National Youth Folk Troupe.

The ministry will also operate "Gugak Week" from June 5 to 14, offering performances, exhibitions, academic events, and hands-on programs across the country.

At Gwanghwamun Square, there will be a joint gilnori (street parade) and go-ssaum (traditional contest) with around 800 participants on June 5. Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang will present "Donhwamun Gugak Week" (June 5–6) with performances highlighting the origins and aesthetics of sound. At the Namsan Palgakjeong Pavilion, there will be traditional performing arts and dance performances for foreign tourists to enjoy (June 7). The outdoor stage at Seoul Forest will host the "Korea Traditional Performing Arts Festival" (June 8–11), featuring youth and master performers. At the Yeakdang Hall of the National Gugak Center, audiences can experience the creative performance "The King's Altar, The People's Stage" (June 11–12), which brings together Jongmyo Jeryeak and Sajik Jeryeak on one stage.

In addition, more than 50 performances, educational sessions, and commemorative events will take place in cities nationwide, including Incheon, Sejong, Gwangju, and Busan. Detailed information about Gugak Day and the Gugak Week events can be found on the website of the Foundation for the Promotion of Traditional Performing Arts.

Minister Choi Hwi-young stated, “Through this year’s Gugak Day, we hope to reaffirm the value of Yeominrak—that all the people enjoy our music together—and we will spare no policy support to help gugak become a closer part of daily life for all our citizens.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.