Gugak meets K-pop: Tracks that fuse tradition with global pop sounds

Every autumn, Koreans gather under the full moon of Chuseok to celebrate harvest, family and abundance. In that spirit, K-pop has found ways to honor tradition too, by folding the sounds of gugak, Korea’s centuries-old music, into modern pop productions.

From royal processions reborn as hip-hop anthems to ballads colored by traditional instruments, these six tracks showcase how gugak breathes through K-pop. And on Chuseok, when families gather beneath the harvest moon, these songs remind listeners that K-pop’s global trajectory doesn’t erase its roots — it amplifies them.

BTS — “IDOL” (2018)

When K-pop juggernaut BTS dropped its album, “Love Yourself: Answer,” with its explosive lead single “IDOL,” the track stood as one of the fiercest declarations of Korean identity ever made by a boy band.

Driven by South African dance beats, trap grooves and EDM drops, the song gains its true punch from “jangdan,” the rhythmic backbone of traditional Korean music, and “pansori,” Korea’s age-old storytelling form. Long associated with folk performance, these sounds land in “IDOL” as emphatic bursts in a track already brimming with pride in its heritage.

This unlikely marriage of African polyrhythms and Korean folk idioms mirrors BTS’ thesis — that the local and global can coexist, and even thrive, within the same musical framework.

Agust D — “Daechwita” (2020)

Few songs embody the force of Korean musical tradition quite like Suga’s “Daechwita.”

Released under his solo moniker Agust D, the BTS rapper samples the royal military music known as “daechwita” — once performed during kings’ processions — and threads it through a hip-hop tapestry of trap beats. The piercing sound of the taepyeongso (a Korean oboe) cuts through the mix, clashing and conversing with 808 drum sounds.

Suga had long expressed an affinity for these Korean rhythmic structures, but this was the first time he centered a solo track around them. The result is both reverent and defiant, as if to declare that tradition can still march into the future.

K-pop boy band Stray Kids / Courtesy of JYP Entertainment

Stray Kids — “Thunderous” (2021)

Produced by the group’s in-house producing trio 3RACHA (Bang Chan, Changbin and Han), “Thunderous” crashes together blaring horns, trap percussion and layers of sonic detail into a statement unique to K-pop boy band Stray Kids.

But the sound that cuts through most is the kkwaenggwari — the metallic gong of Korean folk bands. Its sharp strike becomes the song’s pulse, lending the track a spirit that is both confrontational and celebratory.

For listeners new to gugak, “Thunderous” serves as an easy entry point, reframing tradition through the swaggering defiance of modern idol hip-hop.

Oh My Girl — “Destiny” (2019, Mnet’s “Queendom” stage)

Sometimes gugak isn’t about intensity, but rather its soft and poignant lyricism.

During Mnet’s girl group competition show “Queendom,” Oh My Girl reinterpreted Lovelyz’s “Destiny” with a thoroughly gugak-inspired arrangement. Lush strings give way to the earthy resonance of the gayageum (a traditional Korean plucked zither), while the choreography mirrored the flowing elegance of traditional Korean aesthetics.

The result was a stage that felt cinematic, fusing pop balladry with a dreamy, traditional atmosphere. With its delicate, moonlit poise, Oh My Girl’s version of “Destiny” is arguably the most fitting soundtrack to Chuseok itself — a night of reunion, reflection and the glow of the full moon.

K-pop boy band VIXX / Captured from X

VIXX — “Shangri-La” (2017)

Boy band VIXX had already built a reputation for high-concept aesthetics — vampires, voodoo dolls and even cyborgs — but with “Shangri-La,” the group shifted toward traditional fantasy.

The track layers shimmering synths with subtle gugak-inspired melodies, while the visual presentation made tradition unmistakable — flowing robes reminiscent of hanbok, ornate folding screens and choreography using folding fans.

What might have come off as a gimmick became iconic, sparking a wave of boy bands experimenting with Korean-traditional aesthetics. With “Shangri-La,” VIXX offered early proof that idol groups could transform historical imagery into futuristic spectacle.

K-pop boy band ONEUS / Captured from X

ONEUS — “LUNA” (2021)

K-pop boy band ONEUS’ “LUNA” also distills gugak fusion into its most elegant form.

Opening with a piri (a traditional double-reed wind instrument) line, the track weaves poetic lyrics and fan dance motifs into a contemporary K-pop single that feels both mystical and accessible at the same time.

The song’s careful balancing of East and West demonstrates ONEUS’ knack for theatrical storytelling, as tradition becomes not just an accent but the very backbone of its concept. Critics also took note — Billboard ranked it No. 4 in its “25 Best K-pop Songs of 2021.”