'Gwanhyeonmaengin' Reenacted at Sujeongjeon Hall, Gyeongbokgung Palace

10th Special Performance 'Playing in Sejong's Garden'

The Gyeongbokgung Palace Management Office of the Cultural Heritage Administration will hold a special performance titled 'Playing in Sejong's Garden' at Sujeongjeon Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace on the 10th. The Silom Association for the Blind, founded in 2011, will present familiar traditional Korean music performed by their traditional arts troupe composed of visually impaired musicians. The group was inspired by the Joseon-era 'Gwanhyeonmaengin' system. Gwanhyeonmaengin was a welfare system for disabled persons that granted official positions and stipends to visually impaired musicians, allowing them to serve as court musicians. This reflected King Sejong's spirit of benevolence toward the people. To honor this, the troupe will perform 'Yeominrak,' a court music piece personally composed by King Sejong. They will also perform excerpts from the pansori piece Simcheongga where the protagonist opens her eyes, as well as traditional songs such as the pyeong sijo 'Cheongsanri Byeokgesuya,' 'Arirang,' and 'Gyeongbokgung Taryeong.'