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Lesson

Jeong-Ak: Music of the Korean Court

May it Please Your Highness: Music of the Asian Courts / Jeong-Ak: Music of the Korean Court

This lesson will open your ears to Jeong-ak, music of the royal court in Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, which lasted for over 500 years, from 1392 to 1910. Many generations of a single royal family—the Yi family—ruled the land for all that time. In fact, Korea was a remarkably stable political state. There were only three dynasties from the first unification of the country until 1910.

There are multiple types of court music from Korea; each is performed in different settings. In this lesson, you will learn about three important instruments––the pyeon-gyeong, eo, and chuk. You will also learn about traditional Korean manners, learn to properly bow to the King, and will even have a chance to learn and perform the ilmu dance!

Lesson Paths & Learning Objectives

  1. 17th Century Korea

    • Identify where Korea and Seoul are on a map.
    • Explain the basics of geomancy.
    • Demonstrate understanding of the basics of Korean Confucianism through Korean mannerisms.
    • 15+ minutes

  2. Jeong-Ak Instruments

    • Aurally identify and describe the sounds of different types of Korean court music.
    • Aurally identify the pyeon-gyeong, eo, and chuk (instruments).
    • Explain the purpose of the Jongmyo jerye ritual.
    • 25+ minutes

  3. The Ilmu Dance

    • Perform the steps of the ilmu dance.
    • Create your own dance choreography to accompany jongmyo jerye-ak music.
    • 15+ minutes

More +
Less -

Bibliography

Text

Fischer-Lichte, Erika, Torsten Jost and Astrid Schenka. 2024. The Routledge Companion to Performance-Related Concepts in Non-European Languages. Routledge.

Killick, Andrew P. 2002. "Music and Theater in Korea." The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Vol. 7, 941–947. Routledge.

National Gugak Center. 2007. Music of Korea. Seoul, South Korea: National Gugak Center, Vol. 1 of Korean Musicology Series.

Saeji, CedarBough. 2025. "Performing Arts." The Routledge Handbook of Early Modern Korea, Chapter 21. Routledge.

So, Inhwa. 2007. "Court Music." Music of Korea, 13–30. Seoul, South Korea: Gugakwon.

Audio, video, and image credits appear in order of slideshow sequence

Audio

Choi, Sooin. "Pronunciation Recordings: Lesson 3, Korea." recorded 2023. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, m4a audio.

Korean National Music Academy. "Ah-Ahk." Sing Kyung Nim, conductor. On Korea: Vocal and Instrumental Music. New York City, NY: Folkways Records, FW04325_101, 1965, streaming audio.

Chui-Ta Ensemble. "Dae Chui-Ta." On Korea. Paris, France: AUVIDIS / IICMSD / UNESCO, UNES08010_103, 1972, streaming audio.

Imperial Orchestra. "Su-Je Chon." On Korea. Paris, France: AUVIDIS / IICMSD / UNESCO, UNES08010_101, 1972, streaming audio.

Unknown artist. "Chang Choon Pool Lo Chi Kog - Ah Ahk (Song of Eternal Spring)." On Folk & Classical Music of Korea. New York City, NY: Folkways Records, FW04424_109, 1951, streaming audio.

Unknown artist. "Jong Myo Yong Shin Ahk - Ah Ahk (Requiem for Ancestors' Shrine)." On Folk & Classical Music of Korea. New York City, NY: Folkways Records, FW04424_112, 1951, streaming audio.

Video

Yang, Haeon and Junryeol Yang. Bowing Instruction. Recorded 2014. YouTube. Video, 3:53.

National Theater of Korea. A Whole New World of Percussions. Seoul, South Korea: National Theater of Korea, 2020. Video, 6:01. Streamed via YouTube.

National Gugak Center. Jongmyo Jerye-ak (outdoor performance). Seoul, South Korea: National Gugak Center, 2020. Video, 13:42. Streamed via YouTube.

Crown-Haitai Employees. Palilmu (64 employees of Crown Haitai). Crown-Haitai, 2017. Video, 15:10. Streamed via YouTube.

National Gugak Center. Jongmyo Jeryeak (stage performance). National Gugak Center, 2016. Video, 22:38. Streamed via YouTube.

Images

Unknown artist. A Group of Women in a Garden, Entertaining Themselves with Music and Dancing, mid-18th century, painting. Washington, DC: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, H x W: 28.3 x 18.3 cm (11 1/8 x 7 3/16 in). Gift of Charles Lang Freer.

Piacquadio, Andrea. "Person with Toy Airplane on World Map," digital image. Pexels, 2020.

OpenClipart. "Political Map of the World," digital graphic. FreeSVG, 2020. cropped version of world map.

Saeji, CedarBough. "An Ensemble Plays Jongmyo Jerye-ak at Jongmyo Shrine," 2015, photograph. Personal Collection.

Saeji, CedarBough. "Drummer," 2010, photograph. Personal Collection.

Central Intelligence Agency. "Map of East Asia," digital image. Washington, DC: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, 2004.

Saeji, CedarBough. "Palace Gates," 2024, photograph. Personal Collection.

Saeji, CedarBough. "Palace Gate Soldier," 2010, photograph. Personal Collection.

Mobility, TMap. "Map of Seoul," 2023, digital map. TMap Mobility, 2023. Annotated map based on Google Maps Data.

Saeji, CedarBough. "Jongmyo Jerye," n.d., photograph. Personal collection.

Saeji, CedarBough. "King's Summer Pavilion at Gyeongbok Palace," 2011, photograph. Personal collection.

Unknown photographer. "Bowing," digital image. In 2017 New Year's Holiday, by Hanwha Insurance. Naver Blog, 2017.

Korean Pacific Press, U.N., US Army. "The Lee Palace Orchestra, Court Musicians," photograph. In Folk and Classical Music of Korea. New York City, NY: Folkways Records, 1961, cover image.

Saeji, CedarBough. "Palace Gate Soldiers," 2011, photograph. Personal Collection.

Saeji, CedarBough. "King and Queen," 2001, photograph. Personal Collection.

Saeji, CedarBough. "Royal Court Walking," 2009, photograph. Personal Collection.

Unknown artist. 무신년의 궁중 잔치 (Court Feast in the Year of the God), n.d., painting. Seoul, South Korea: National Museum of Korea, 136.1 cm x 47.6 cm.

Unknown artist. 정해년의 궁중잔치 (Jeong Hae-Nyeon's Court Banquet), n.d., painting. Seoul, South Korea: National Museum of Korea, 147.1 cm x 47.9 cm.

Duek, Noh Mun. "Day of Rites and Ceremonies," photograph. Wikimedia Commons, May 5, 2013.

Firefox OS. "Turtle Graphic," digital graphic. Wikimedia Commons, 2015.

Pecyna, Michał. "Sheep," digital graphic. Wikimedia Commons, 2006.

Twemoji v2 project. "Horse Graphic," digital graphic. Wikimedia Commons, 2017. Copyright 2019 Twitter, Inc and other contributors, CC BY 4.0.

Na, Seungyeol. "Changchun bullo jigok," 2015, photograph. In National Gugak Center. Seoul, South Korea: National Gugak Center.

Unknown photographer. "Room No. 13 for King Jeonjo and Queen Hyo-eui at the Main Hall," photograph. In Jongmyo, The Royal Ancestral Shrine. Seoul, South Korea: National Palace Museum of Korea, 2014.

Unknown maker. "Eo," musical instrument. In Jongmyo, The Royal Ancestral Shrine. Seoul, South Korea: National Palace Museum of Korea, 2014.

Unknown maker. "Chuk," musical instrument. Seoul, South Korea: National Gugak Center, n.d.

Unknown photographer. "Posture Playing the Pyeongyeong," photograph. Seoul, South Korea: National Gugak Center, n.d.

Duek, Noh Mun. "Jongmyo Royal Shrine Dancing," photograph. Wikimedia Commons, 2013.

MMalkavian. "Jongmyo Shrine Inner Gate," photograph. Deviant Art, 2015.

Unknown artist. "Children Stick Figures," digital graphic. publicdomainvectors.org, 2018. Originally sourced from openclipart.org.

Thirdman. "Students Running Together Inside the School," photograph. Pexels, 2021.