Uiryeong County to Host the 13th Uiryeong Ureuk Birth Anniversary National Gayageum Competition

September 5-6 at Uiryeong County Youth Training Center in Burim-myeon

Uiryeong County, South Gyeongsang Province, will host the “13th Uiryeong Ureuk Birthday Memorial National Gayageum Competition” for two days from September 5 to 6 at the Uiryeong County Youth Center in Burim-myeon, to commemorate the birth of Ureuk, the legendary founder of the Gayageum.

Hosted by Uiryeong County and organized by the Gayageum Byeongchang Preservation Society, this competition will see over 150 participants from across the country compete in instrumental and Byeongchang (performance and singing) categories, showcasing the skills they have honed over time.

The competition will be divided into elementary, middle, high school, university, and adult divisions. The grand prize winner in the adult division will receive a commendation from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a cash prize of 5 million won, and a Sanjo Gayageum hand-crafted by instrument maker Kim Donghwan of the Ureuk National Instrument Research Institute.

Over 150 Gayageum players from across the country showcase their skills in Uiryeong.
[Photo by Uiryeong County]

An official from the county said, "We hope this competition will help discover talented Gayageum musicians and broaden the base of traditional music," adding, "We will continue to steadily develop Uiryeong's traditional cultural assets centered around Ureuk and the Gayageum in the future."

Now marking its 13th year, the National Gayageum Competition is held annually in Uiryeong, the birthplace of Ureuk, to carry on the Gayageum tradition and discover new Korean traditional music talents. Detailed information, including the event schedule, can be found on the official websites of Uiryeong County and the Gayageum Byeongchang Preservation Society.

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