Inaugural 'gugak' expo spotlights K-pop's roots

An expo dedicated to "gugak," Korean traditional music, opened Friday, spotlighting the roots of Korean music that have paved the way for the global phenomenon of K-pop. The 2025 Yeongdong World Traditional Music & Arts Expo, the first of its kind, is scheduled to run through Oct. 11 in Yeongdong County, 185 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The event is designed to broaden the audience base for traditional music, foster exchange among industry experts and musicians and boost the regional economy through cultural tourism, according to its organizers. Under the slogan "The Fragrance of Gugak, Permeating the World," the expo kicked off with an opening ceremony at Yeongdong Citizens' Stadium at 7 p.m., with about 10,000 local government officials, gugak performers, and residents expected to attend. The ceremony will be followed by a street parade featuring traditional artists from around the world, an air show by the Black Eagles, and performances by the National Gugak Center and the Nangye Gugak Orchestra. The show will also include a large-scale percussion performance by some 200 Yeongdong rWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times