South Korea

Korean traditional music is grouped under the term gugak, which covers court music (jeongak) and folk music (minsokak); instruments such as the gayageum and geomungo are already described in the Samguk sagi of 1145. Pansori, sung storytelling for one singer and a drummer, was recognised by UNESCO in 2003. The Seoul Arts Center, opened in 1988, houses the Korea National Opera, the Korean National Ballet, the Korean National Symphony Orchestra and the National Chorus of Korea. The orchestra adopted the name Korean National Symphony Orchestra in 2022.