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| ▲ This promotional poster for the first national "Gugak Day" is provided by the culture ministry. The event is set to take place at the outdoor plaza of Heungnyemun Gate in Seoul on June 5, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, June 4 (Yonhap) -- The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) announced on Wednesday that it will hold a commemorative ceremony for the first national "Gugak Day" on the outdoor plaza of Heungnyemun Gate in Seoul on Thursday.
Gugak Day is a commemorative event honoring the first recorded appearance in the Annals of King Sejong of the term "Yeominrak," meaning "joy with the people." During the ceremony, the MCST Minister's Award of Merit will be presented to individuals who contributed to the enactment of the Gugak Promotion Act, which came into effect in July of last year.
To mark the first Gugak Day, the Ministry will unveil an official symbolic image at the ceremony. Reflecting the unique characteristics of traditional Korean music, dance, and performance, the image portrays nature with the sun and mountains: the sun is symbolized with the taeguk pattern of a small gong (sogo), and the mountains are depicted through traditional instruments like the daegeum, gayageum bridges, and sangmo hats.
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| ▲ This promotional poster for the first national "Gugak Day" is provided by the culture ministry. The event is set to take place at the outdoor plaza of Heungnyemun Gate in Seoul on June 5, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
The Ministry has also designated May 5–30 as Gugak Week, during which a variety of events will be held across the country to allow the public to enjoy gugak together.
From May 5 to 8, the Yeominrak Grand Festival will take place at Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul, featuring performances such as traditional nongak street parades from six regions, special concerts, and hands-on experience events. On May 7 and 8, the Royal Banquet of the Sejong Era will be reenacted at Geunjeongjeon Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace. Various gugak performances, educational and hands-on programs, academic conferences, and meetings hosted by gugak centers and cultural foundations will also be held nationwide until the 30th.
Information on the main Gugak Day and Gugak Week events is available on the official website (academy.gugak.go.kr/gugakweek).
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon stated, "Through Gugak Day, I hope we can newly illuminate the meaning and value of gugak, and that not only people in the gugak community but also all who love gugak will take greater interest in its preservation, promotion, and popularization."
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