Yeongdong, a mecca of traditional music, is the native town of one of Korea’s greatest-ever musicians, Park Yeon, who mastered a compilation of traditional court music at the order of King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty 600 years ago. He is revered as one of the three greatest musicians in ancient Korea, along with Wang San-ak of Goguryeo and Urek of Silla.
The late Park Yeon’s heritage at Godang-ni, Simcheon-myeon, Yeongdong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, inherits his passion for traditional Korean music, gugak. His spirit of devoting the inheritance and development of gugak still lives on there. A shrine, Nangae-sa, is named after his penname Nangae, an institute of producing traditional Korean musical instruments, affiliated with the National Gugak Center, a traditional Korean music museum, and a center of experiencing gugak.
Now efforts are being waged to put the musician’s heritage and monuments on Unesco’s World Cultural Heritage list. Leading the move is Chairman Lee Pil-woo of Seoul National University’s Advanced Center for Administrative Development Alumni (SNU-ACADA). Chairman Lee of the Association of Chungcheongbuk-do Residents in Seoul, concurrently chairman of the 11th National Assembly Parliamentarians Committee Lee, also hails from Yeongdong.
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A view of the aak concert by the National Gugak Center. The center performed a similar aak concert in Paris in September, fascinating Parisians.
Recognizing Park Yeon’s career, spirit and devotion for traditional Korean music, SNU-ACADA Chairman Lee expounded the rationale behind the need for Park Yeon’s heritage and musical memorials to be placed on Unesco’s World Heritage list.
“Korean gugak emerges as a new trend of hallyu (Korean Wave) of late. The world is moved with the Orient’s beautiful, splendid and sophisticated melody. Parisians’ enthusiasm and excitement over the aak concert by the National Gugak Center in September in Paris has proved this,” she said in a meeting with reporters.
Lee went on to say that the great musician Park Yeon’s heritage has become the subject of global attention, adding that the musician’s heritage and monuments should be put on the World Heritage list.
Chairman Lee is on the Association of Chungcheongbuk-do Residents in Seoul, who advocate on behalf of his lifelong tenets: filial duty and trust stresses the historical significance of the memorial stone for musician Park Yeon’s filial piety built at the order of King Taejong of Joseon Dynasty.
The monument, which carries inscriptions Park Yeon received from King Taejong at the age of 24 in recognition of his filial piety, is one of the precious historical remains related to the great musician. The musician’s memorial stone, being preserved by one of his descendants, has been revealed, and a process of designating it as a national property is under way.
“Park Yeon is said as a filial son who had stayed at the tomb of his mother for a long period of time after her death. A tale of a tiger on a guard at the tomb has been passed on,” Chairman Lee said. Lee spoke about the musician’s devotion for filial piety, citing the tale that is passed down by word of mouth.
“Park Yeon was good at playing a pipe from childhood. He was devoted to playing a pipe he handled first after his mother died. A tale in which birds and animals danced to the tune of gayageum, a zither-like string instrument, he played still goes the rounds.”
Among the most important achievements by Park Yeon was his compiling of musical notes and the production of musical instruments, said Chairman Lee, adding that the musician’s vast musical notes are included in the Chapter of King Sejong of the Joseonwangjosilok, the Annals of Joseon Dynasty.
“Pyeongyeong, jade stone chimes, is the indispensable musical instrument when it comes to playing aak. At that time, since there was no jade stones for making pyeongyeong, metal was used instead in doing so, leading to difficulties in setting tunes, but using the pumice stone discovered in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, later, the musician managed to produce pyeongyeong suiting the reality of Joseon Dynasty,” Lee said.
Park Yeon used such musical instruments as pyeongyeong were for ritual ceremonies during the period between the fall of King Sejong’s eighth reign and the summer of the 10th reign. At that time, pyeongyeong, made by the musician, was superior to its Chinese counterparts. Park Yeon produced and presented all musical instruments essential for playing aak to the king and used them to hold a lunar New Year’s greeting ritual ceremony for the first time, Chairman Lee said.
Currently, the village of Godang-ni is home to an institute for producing traditional Korean musical instruments, affiliated with the National Gugak Center. Chairman Lee cited the institute as one of Yeongdong’s best prides.
Park Yeon retreated to his native town in his late 70s. Upon returning to the village, he would play several musical instruments. He passed away at the age of 81. His remains were laid to rest in the village. He was awarded a posthumous epithet “Munhyeongong” during King Yeongjo’s 43rd reign.
Lee tells students about the posthumous lauding of Park Yeon’s musical world. “Joseon musicians compared Park Yeon (his penname Nangae) to ancient China’s greatest musician, Kui of Shoundi .The Nangae-sa was built to set ancestral tablets in his family shrine, and the musician was enshrined in Chogang Seowon (Confucian School) in Yeongdong. He cannot be overemphasized to be a great person enough to be treated with exceptional respect.”
Chairman Lee stressed the need for establishing an aak research institute in Yeongdong as an affiliate of the National Gugak Center and national study on reinstating aak. He noted that the project is daunting, but it is possible to carry out if the government is willing to do so, he said.
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A portrait of the great musician Park Yeon (his penname Nangae) and his wife.
The Nangae-sa, a shrine built to pay homage to Park Yeon.
Nangae Traditional Music Festival & Wine for Tourists
“The Nangae Traditional Music Festival, one of Yeongdong’ gems, boasts a 50-year history. The festival has contributed to Yeongdong, the native town of Park Yeon, to establish itself as a center of traditional Korean music, and the festival, being held in connection with a festival of wine, one of Yeongdong’s famous agricultural products, emerges as a fascinating local fest.
Chairman Lee has been making huge investments into the local winery Wine Korea in the interests of local wine growers. His business doesn’t make a profit, but he maintains the business to ease farmers’ hardships.
He boasts that the Nangae Traditional Music Festival is gaining recognition from people around the world every year. He also noted the need for the development of the local wine industry to bring a rising number of Chinese tourists to Yeongdong.
Lee still has a plan to build an exhibition hall to display a collection of possessions he collected during his life at Yongchuwon, his retreat villa at Gaeryong-ni, Chupung-myeon, Yeongdong. He owns some 600 pieces of artwork, including ones produced by late prominent painters. He believes that some day, the great musician’s heritage and memorials, as well as his collection of possessions, will play a part in attracting tourists to Yeongdong. Almost every weekend, he tours his native town of Gaeryong-ni to put the finishing touches to the project of refurbishing his retreat villa. Chairman Lee’s love for his native town is extraordinary and noteworthy.
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A whole view of the Nangae Gugak Experience Center. (Photos: Chairman Lee Pil-woo’s Office)
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