Korean court music

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Korean court music (Kor: 궁중음악, RR: gungjung eumak) comprises three main musical genres: aak, an imported form of Chinese ritual music; a pure Korean form called hyangak; and a combination of Chinese and Korean styles called dangak.^[1]

Korean court music and its historical origins can be traced back to the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BCE–668), the Unified Silla (668–935), Goryeo (918–1392) and Joseon dynasties (1392–1910).^[1][2] It was partly modelled on the court music of China, known as yayue. Korean court music also shows similarities with the court music of Japan, known as gagaku and of Vietnam, known as nhã nhạc, which also are also derivative of yayue.

Performances in the form of banquet dances typically accompany the court music, in which musical institutions play a role in teaching and training musicians and performers on the forms of traditional Korean dance. The instruments used in Korean court music vary depending on the specific genre but do show various overlaps between the three different types. Traditional court music also continues to show significant cultural influence on contemporary society in South Korea, through government, national music associations, and forms of popular culture such as South Korean music.