By Charles Audouin
Photos = Shin Yugyeong from Office of the President 

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 13 in Amsterdam attended the performing arts event "Traditional Korean Music and Dance" to conclude his state visit to the Netherlands.

The Office of the President and Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS), an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the performance held at AFAS Live, a concert hall in the Dutch capital, was to reciprocate for the state visit and create a bridgehead for cultural exchange and promotion of bilateral friendship.

The event began with Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In Chon reading on stage a congratulatory message wishing for more bilateral prosperity, development and friendship.

Renowned gugak (traditional music) master Shin Young-hee conveyed the deep-rooted historical bond between both countries through pansori (traditional lyrical opera). She sang of Hendrik Hamel, a 17th-century Dutch sailor who introduced Korea to Europe after being shipwrecked on Jeju Island, and Jan Janse de Weltevree, another Dutch sailor who became a naturalize citizen and served as a military officer of the Joseon Dynasty under the name Park Yeon.

Pansori masters Park Ae-ri and Nam Sang-il introduced the story of the Dutch humanities scholar Erasmus through a three-dimensional format. In contrast to pansori, where one vocalist performs while accompanied by the gosu (drummer), the method used this time had two or more singers dividing roles according to characters in the play.

Afterwards, Shin, Park and Nam sang the Korean folk song "Jindo Arirang" to pump up the crowd and a folk music troupe from the National Gugak Center presented pangut, a folk music performance of drumming, dancing and singing, to end the concert.

The stage was arranged in an arena style with both the front and both sides of the stage visible to the audience to observe all performance elements, including traditional attire. A large screen upfront also provided commentary in English and lyrics in both Dutch and English.

About 600 people attended the concert including President Yoon, first lady Kim Keon Hee and the Dutch royal couple.

caudouin@korea.kr