A group of expats and international students has taken a journey to explore two of Korea’s UNESCO cultural heritage items and sites.

On July 9, 97 non-Koreans from 30 countries, including the U.S., Iran, Uzbekistan, India, France, Ghana, Tunisia, Guatemala, Mexico, Laos and Pakistan, had a chance to learn how to play the traditional two-headed janggu (장구) drum, one of instruments used to make nongak (농악), a form of traditional farmer’s music. The class was part of a program hosted by the Korean Culture and Information Service, part of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, that was designed to help non-Korean residents in Korea more fully understand the nation’s cultural assets that are registered with UNESCO.



Nongak music is played on a variety of percussion instruments, such as the janggu, the kkwaenggwari (꽹과리), a small gong, and the jing (징), a small cymbal, along with dance moves. Its history began with farmers who played and danced, praying to the gods for a good harvest and to fend off evil spirits. In 2014, nongak farmers’ music was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

The 30-minute class allowed participants to learn how to hold a pair of janggu drum sticks and gave them a chance to try some simple, easy beats. “We have an equivalent of janggu in Iran, too. The difference between the two instruments, however, is that the Iranian drum should be played with the hands, not with sticks. This is my first time to play this Korean drum, and it's really fun,” said Najafizadeh Sudeh, a 28-year-old participant from Iran who is currently studying for a master’s in textiles and fabric at Hongik University.



The group was then bussed to the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Province, a World Cultural Heritage site that was designated by UNESCO in 1997. Covering an area of 371,145 square meters, with ramparts spanning around 5,744 meters, the castle was built by King Jeongjo (정조, 正祖) (1752-1800), the 22nd Joseon monarch, when he decided to move the burial site of his father, Crown Prince Sado, who had died in tragedy, from Baebongsan Mountain in Yangju to Paldalsan Mountain in Suwon.

During their tour, program participants listened to the history of the fortress and of the surrounding buildings. “I could see firsthand the Joseon-era architecture, from the ramparts and buildings here. It was really good to hear about the history that's hidden in some buildings, too,” said Victor Owusu from Ghana who's currently majoring in geography at Seoul National University.



Along with the journey to explore the two UNESCO cultural heritage assets, the group also had hands-on experiences with the bongsan talchum (봉산 탈춤), a traditional mask dance. They visited the Korean Folk Village in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do Province, a village that has reconstructed more than 270 traditional Hanok homes that date back to late Joseon times. The village also hosts performances of the jultagi (줄타기), a type of tightrope walking, and nongak music, and is home to a series of exhibitions that give a glimpse into seasonal customs, traditional lifestyles, folk games and farming methods that existed in Joseon.

“With this hands-on experience today, I could see that Korean music and rhythms are a bit different from what I thought and expected,” said Arielle Pukanecz, an English teacher at Seoul Ansan Elementary School. “It was a great chance to understand Korean traditions and history in such a short time.”



Article and photos by Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer, reporting from Gyeonggi-do Province
jiae5853@korea.kr