Nongak Festival to Be Held at Mireuksaji in Iksan

The 15th Korea Nongak Festival Held

Photo by Iksan City Provided

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hong Jae-hee] Diverse performances by 'Nongak' groups, an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, will be held at Mireuksaji Plaza in Iksan, Jeonbuk.

On the 16th, Iksan City announced that the 15th Korea Nongak Festival will be held on the 18th at Mireuksaji Plaza in Iksan, featuring distinctive performances by Nongak groups representing Korea.

This festival will showcase groups including Iri Nongak (Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 11-3), Jinju Samcheonpo (Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 11-1), Pyeongtaek Nongak (Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 11-2), and Imsil Pilbong Nongak (Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 11-5).

Iri Nongak features a wide variety of Bupo plays and has developed janggu rhythms and dances.

Also, Jinju Samcheonpo Nongak is known for its masculine and military-like skills, while Pyeongtaek Nongak has clear melodic ornamentation and developed singing rituals and mudong plays.

Imsil Pilbong Nongak is characterized by clear phrasing and places more emphasis on group harmony and unity than individual techniques.

Nongak greatly contributes to the visibility of intangible cultural heritage by promoting dialogue among various communities. Recognizing this, it was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014.

This festival is held at Mireuksaji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, enhancing its significance by allowing tangible and intangible UNESCO heritages to resonate together in one place.

An official from Iksan City said, “This event held in the historic and cultural city of Iksan will serve as an opportunity to inherit and develop our unique traditional culture,” and added, “We hope it brings comfort and hope to citizens weary from the impact of COVID-19.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.