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Music of South Korea
Chinese guqin and Beijing opera, Japanese gagaku, shakuhachi and min'yō, Korean pansori and samul nori, Taiwanese gezaixi opera, nanguan chamber music and Bunun pasibutbut, Mongolian khöömei throat singing and morin khuur.
Sung and searched in Korean. The YouTube button above can run your search in that language.
Roots and traditions
Traditional music
Korean traditional music is also known as Gugak (national music). The first evidence of Korean music appeared in the extant text of Samguk sagi (History of the three kingdoms) in 1145, which described two string-like instruments; Gayageum and Geomungo. Traditional Korean music was brought to heights of excellence under the kings of the Joseon dynasty between 1392 and 1897. During the Joseon period, a social hierarchy was observed with the King and the yangban (government officials, generals, and the elite) at the top and the sangmin (merchants, craftsman) and slaves at the bottom. There were two forms of music: jeongak (court music) and minsokak (folk music). Jeongak was the music category that the yangban listened to for enjoyment and was played during state rituals like banquets, military processions, etc. However, minsokak and nongak (farmer's music) dominated among the common people. The different types of folk music were: pansori, pungmulnori, and minyo (folk songs). Pansori became definite in the seventeenth century and gained respect over time.
Popular music
Mainstream popular music
Popular Korean music, often referred to as K-pop in English, is a highly commercial industry throughout World. The dominant trend in popular Korean music is currently "idol" (아이돌) groups, though far from all Korean popular music artists are idols. Idol groups typically feature several entertainers of the same gender who perform a fusion of dance music, rhythm and blues, funk, hip-hop and electronic influenced songs. Contemporary Korean music and K-pop stars are very popular across Asia, and the spread of contemporary Korean culture designated a word to reflect this fact. The Korean Wave, or Hallyu (한류), is the word used to discuss the influence of contemporary Korean popular culture on the rest of Asia, and the rest of the world.
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Radio from South Korea
Music only, no news or talk. Stations that play the local tradition come first, then the most listened. They play in the corner of the page.
Station directory by Radio Browser Streams come from each station's own server.