Intertwined Influences on Korea's Musical Achievements in the 15th Century

Dr Gyewon Byeon (King Sejong Institute)

Lecture

King Sejong achieved the reestablishment of authentic aak (雅樂) in the Joseon Dynasty court. Aak, which literally means "elegant music," refers to court music used in Confucian ritual ceremonies and later came to encompass music performed in the royal court more broadly. King Sejong’s new musical pieces, jeongdaeeop and botaepyeong, were designated as ritual music for the royal ancestors by King Sejo. It was King Sejong’s desire from the beginning and he intended to create new aak for his people. Therefore, it possesses a more widespread idea of the propagation of human virtue by music. What he was looking for during his reign was the culmination of the perfect Confucian world. The reestablishment of the aak and the creation of new musical pieces and the influences of Hangeul on the creation of new music and the invention of a new notation system, jeongganbo, were all linked as an intertwined form in the achievements of King Sejong, and each were also respectively born as an individual cultural production. 

About the lecturer

Dr. Gyewon Byeon holds a B.A. and M.A. in traditional Korean music from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from SOAS, University of London. Since 2003, she has taught at major Korean universities, lectured widely, and published extensively in both English and Korean. She has also served as a music commentator on Korean broadcasts and as a judge in music competitions. Her traditional Korean compositions have been internationally performed and recognized, earning awards like the KBS Grand Prize for Composition. Since 2014, she has been based in Germany, currently directing the cultural program at the King Sejong Institute in Berlin.