Busan Gugak Center offers Saturday concerts
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A performance of the Dongnae Crane Dance, which is intangible cultural property No. 3 of Busan City, is included in the Busan National Gugak Center’s “Happy Gugak Tree” concert on Saturdays. / Courtesy of Busan National Gugak Center
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The Busan National Gugak Center (BNGC) hosts "Happy Gugak Tree," its weekly Korean traditional music concert, on every Saturday.
Held at the center's small hall Yejidang, the concert series features various aspects of "gugak," or Korean traditional music from traditional songs, folk dance, court music, percussion performance and even gugak orchestra. The concert also celebrates Korean tradition listed in the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage List. The Saturday concert is gaining popularity with international visitors. According to the BNGC, over 57,500 people have watched the show since its debut in May 2009, with the number increasing year by year. As of 2013, about 8 percent or 1,150 audience members were foreigners.
"We seek to attract more foreigners to the program, as BNGC is located in the international city of Busan. We publish brochures in English, Chinese and Japanese for better understanding of Korean traditional music for the visitors," said an official of BNGC.
It is a regular performance running through the end of the year. Each week has a different theme and a detailed schedule can be found at the center's website. Tickets cost from 8,000 won to 10,000 won. For more information, visit busan.gugak.go.kr or call (051) 811-0040.