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Saenghwang
The ''saenghwang'' () is a traditional Korean wind instrument. It is a free reed mouth organ derived from the Chinese '' sheng''. It is related to the Japanese instrument '' shō'', which is also derived from the ''sheng''. The instrument was referred to historically as ''saeng'' () or ''u'' () during the Goryeo period. History It is attested to in Korea during the Three Kingdoms of Korea period. ''Sheng'' were continually brought to Korea, with the Goryeo court receiving it from the Song dynasty in 1116. In 1406, the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty gave the Joseon court a ''sheng''. Under the reign of Sejong the Great, the instrument was manufactured in Korea. During the 1592–1598 Japanese invasions of Korea, the instrument temporarily ceased to be manufactured in Korea. It continued to be played into the Japanese colonial period, with artists eventually joining the National Gugak Center after the establishment of South Korea. The South Korean government has sponsore ...
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Sejong The Great
Sejong (; 15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), commonly known as Sejong the Great (), was the fourth monarch of the Joseon, Joseon dynasty of Korea. He is regarded as the greatest ruler in Korean history, and is remembered as the inventor of Hangul, the native alphabet of the Korean language. Initially titled Grand Prince Chungnyeong (), he was the third son of Taejong of Joseon, King Taejong and Queen Wongyeong. In 1418, Sejong replaced his eldest brother, Grand Prince Yangnyeong, Yi Che, as crown prince; a few months later, Taejong voluntarily abdicated the throne in Sejong's favor. In the early years of Sejong's reign, Taejong of Joseon, King Emeritus Taejong retained vast powers, most notably absolute executive and military power, and continued to govern until his death in 1422. Sejong reinforced Korean Confucianism, Korean Confucian and Neo-Confucianism, neo-Confucian policies, and enacted major legal amendments (). He personally created and promulgated the Hangul, Korean alp ...
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Sheng (instrument)
The ( zh, c=笙) is a Chinese mouth-blown polyphonic free reed instrument consisting of vertical pipes. It is one of the oldest Chinese instruments, with images depicting its kind dating back to 1100 BCE, and there are original instruments from the Han dynasty that are preserved in museums today. Traditionally, the has been used as an accompaniment instrument for solo or performances. It is one of the main instruments in and some other forms of Chinese opera. Traditional small ensembles also make use of the , such as the wind and percussion ensembles in northern China. In the modern large Chinese orchestra, it is used for both melody and accompaniment. The has been used in the works of a few non-Chinese composers, including Unsuk Chin, Jukka Tiensuu, Lou Harrison, Tim Risher, Daníel Bjarnason, Guus Janssen and Christopher Adler. Some believe that Johann Wilde and Pere Amiot traveled to China and brought the first to Europe in 1740 and 1777 respectively, altho ...
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Korean Music
Korea has produced music () for thousands of years, into the modern day. After the division of Korea in 1945, both North and South Korea have produced their own styles of music. Traditional music () produced by Korea includes court music, folk music, poetic songs, and religious music used in shamanistic and Buddhist traditions. Modern music includes K-pop (), the popular music of South Korea. North Korea also produces its own popular music, as well as music that's inspired by traditional music. History Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea Not much is known about music from the Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea period (before 57 BCE). It is believed that Korean people practiced shamanistic rituals involving music at agricultural festivals. Tomb murals and ceramics from this period depict string instruments with complex features that suggest the instruments were quite developed. Three Kingdoms of Korea The Three Kingdoms of Korea refers to the period from 57 BCE to 668 CE when the ...
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Yanggeum
The ''yanggeum'' () is a traditional Korean string instrument. It is a hammered dulcimer. Unlike other traditional Korean instruments (most of which have silk strings), the ''yanggeum'' has metal strings. It is played by striking the strings with a bamboo stick. ''Yanggeum'' means a stringed instrument of the West (yang). The ''yanggeum'' is also called ''seoyanggeum'' ("Western stringed instrument") or ''gura cheolsageum'' (歐邏鐵絲琴,"European metal stringed instrument"). The origin of the ''yanggeum'' is based on a South asian instrument called the santoor. The Chinese introduced it into Korea in the 18th century. Its body is flat and trapezoidal, with seven sets of four metal strings. The right hand strikes the strings with a thin bamboo strip. See also * Yangqin * Hammered dulcimer * Santur * Santoor * Traditional Korean musical instruments Traditional Korean musical instruments comprise a wide range of string, wind, and percussion instruments. String Korean str ...
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Danso
The ''danso'' (also spelled ''tanso'') is a Korean notched, end-blown vertical bamboo flute used in Korean folk music. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but since the 20th century it has also been made of plastic. It was imported from China in the 19th century, where it is called duanxiao (). The Korean name is the transliteration of the Chinese one, a short variant of the xiao. The flute has four finger holes and one thumb hole at the back. The playing range is two octaves, going from low G to high G. The lower sounds are made by just blowing, whereas the higher ones are made by difference in the strength of the blowing. The tone is clear, and it is also used as a solo instrument, but is mainly used for ensemble with other instruments in chamber music. The ''dan'' in the instrument's name means "short", and ''so'' refers to the notched, end-blown vertical bamboo flute. To match its name, It is the shortest wind instrument played vertically. Another Korean end-blown vertic ...
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Gisaeng
''Kisaeng'' (), also called ''ginyeo'' (), were enslaved women from outcast or enslaved families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men of upper class. First emerging in Goryeo dynasty. were officially sanctioned by the state and employed in various public functions. While many worked in royal courts, others were stationed throughout the provinces. Trained in music, dance, poetry, and prose, kisaeng were often highly educated and skilled in the fine arts. Despite their low social status, they were respected as cultured artists. In addition to entertainment, some were assigned duties in medicine and needlework. hold an important place in the traditional cultural memory of the Joseon dynasty. Although most individual have faded from history, a few are remembered for their talents, intelligence, or loyalty. The most renowned among them is Hwang Jini, a celebrated 16th-century ''kisaeng'' known for her poetry and wit. Socia ...
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Hyangak
''Hyangak'', literally "indigenous/native music, folks music" is a traditional form of Korean court music with origins in the Three Kingdoms of Korea, Three Kingdoms period (57 BC – 668 AD). It is often accompanied by traditional folk dances of Korea, known as ''hyangak jeongjae''. These dances are performed in front of audiences—as opposed to the square dance more familiar to Westerners, which is primarily for the participants' enjoyment. One important ''hyangak'' piece is ''Yeomillak'' (hangul: 여민락; hanja: wikt:與, 與wikt:民, 民wikt:樂, 樂). Few ''hyangak'' pieces are performed in Chinese style; these include ''Pollyeong'', ''Haeryeong'' (hangul: 해령; hanja: wikt:解, 解wikt:令, 令), and ''Poheoja'' History During the Unified Silla Period, Hyangak began to be used as a symmetrical concept with dangak. At that time, Hyangak included both native music from the Korean Peninsula and foreign music that had been adopted before the unified Silla Dynasty. The ...
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The Hankyoreh
''The Hankyoreh'' () is a centre-left liberal daily newspaper in South Korea. It was established in 1988 after widespread purges forced out dissident journalists, and was envisioned as an alternative to existing newspapers, which were regarded as unduly influenced by the authoritarian government at the time. When it launched, it claimed to be "the first newspaper in the world truly independent of political power and large capital." As of 2016, it has been voted as the most trusted news organization by Korean journalists for nine consecutive years but is also the least influential news outlet by the survey. It has online editions in English, Chinese, and Japanese. History The newspaper was originally established as ''Hankyoreh Shinmun'' () on 15 May 1988 by ex-journalists from '' The Dong-A Ilbo'' and '' The Chosun Ilbo''. At the time, government censors were in every newsroom, newspaper content was virtually dictated by the Ministry of Culture and Information, and newspape ...
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National Gugak Center
The National Gugak Center (), located in Seoul, South Korea, is the primary institution of learning for Korean traditional music (), including both court music and folk music. It was founded in 1951 through a merger of Korean musical organizations. It is dedicated to "preserving and promoting traditional Korean music." Through academic courses, private study, ensembles, research, and performances, it preserves Korea's ancient musical traditions, including the ancient court ritual music called '' aak'' as well as the ritual music performed for the Jongmyo (royal ancestral shrine) and the Munmyo (Confucian shrine). Historical musical organizations While Korean court music dates back to the music institute of the Silla kingdom in the 7th century, the present is the direct successor to the Jangakwon music institution of the Joseon Dynasty. Jangakwon went through various name changes until 1945: *Jangakwon 장악원 掌樂院 (1470) *Gyobangsa 교방사 敎坊司 (1897) *J ...
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Japanese Invasions Of Korea (1592–1598)
The Imjin War () was a series of two Japanese invasions of Korea: an initial invasion in 1592 also individually called the "Imjin War", a brief truce in 1596, and a second invasion in 1597 called the Chŏngyu War (). The conflict ended in 1598 with the withdrawal of Japanese forces from the Korean Peninsula after a military stalemate in Korea's southern provinces. The invasions were launched by Toyotomi Hideyoshi with the intent of conquering the Korean Peninsula and China proper, which were ruled by the Joseon and Ming dynasties, respectively. Japan quickly succeeded in occupying large portions of the Korean Peninsula, but the contribution of reinforcements by the Ming, "(Korean) war minister Yi Hang-bok pointed out that assistance from China was the only way Korea could survive." as well as the disruption of Japanese supply fleets along the western and southern coasts by the Joseon Navy, "His naval victories were to prove decisive in the Japanese defeat, although Yi was to ...
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Joseon
Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of Goryeo in what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul. The kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to the natural boundaries at the rivers of Yalu River, Amnok and Tumen River, Tuman through the subjugation of the Jurchen people, Jurchens. During its 500-year duration, Joseon encouraged the entrenchment of Korean Confucianism, Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society. Neo-Confucianism was installed as the new state's ideology. Korean Buddhism, Buddhism was accordingly discouraged, and occasionally Buddhists faced persecution. Joseon consolidated its effective rule over the Korean peninsula and saw the he ...
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