Korea′s Nongak added to UNESCO′s Intangible Cultural Heritage List ′농악′ 인류무형유산

Details

Description

A form of traditional Korean farm music and dance ritual known as Nongak has been inscribed on UNESCO′s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
With this inscription, South Korea now has a total of 17 cultural assets on the list.
Kim Ji-yeon has the details.
A rush of adrenaline and then comes the calmness one feels when encountering Nongak... a traditional Korean music from the early 1900s.
Coined as "farm music"... Nongak was chanted by farmers while working long back-breaking hours in the field... to help them overcome the difficulty of agriculture life.
The music is enjoyed today by many Koreans for its upbeat rhythm and performance... and now it′s officially recognized by UNESCO as one of the world′s intangible cultural heritage.
Nongak is Korea′s 17th item on the UNESCO list.. alongside the country′s folk song "Arirang," and the making and sharing of kimchi, known as kimjang.

"Nongak is a creative art from. The performers and the audience are united as they′re invited to join along in the performance′s rhythmic changes."
The recognition of Nongak as a UNESCO cultural heritage is expected to become a catalyst in the move to preserve the art form to pass it down to generations.

"This will be a great motivation to come up with creative and systematic ways to preserve and develop our rich cultural asset."
Also added to the UNESCO list this year is North Korea′s version of the folk song "Arirang" ... alongside South Korea′s version of the song which was added back in 2012.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.