"Your Interest and Active Participation Greatly Empower Our Gugak" Appeal on SNS
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] "If we let the opportunity to learn even a little about our country, our own traditional music disappear, what exactly are our students supposed to learn and grow up with?"
Singer Song Ga-in voiced criticism over the move to reduce traditional Korean music (Gugak) education. The Gugak community is concerned about the government's efforts to scale back Gugak education in elementary, middle, and high school curricula. Singer Song Ga-in, who comes from a Gugak background, has also joined in opposing these moves.
On the 10th, Song Ga-in posted on Instagram, "Everyone, please listen to my request once. Your interest and active participation are a great strength to our Gugak," along with a poster for the ‘Gugak Artists’ Cultural Festival.’ The poster included the message, "In the draft of the 2022 revised music curriculum announced this April, many guidelines related to Gugak education have been removed."
Regarding the neglect of Gugak education, Song Ga-in expressed her feelings, saying, "It is regrettable and infuriating to even have to discuss such an absurd issue." She added, "I hope the officials at the Ministry of Education make a more accurate judgment that our history and traditions must not be tampered with."
Song Ga-in is a trot singer who graduated from the Gugak Department at Gwangju Arts High School and the Department of Traditional Arts at Chung-Ang University. She debuted in 2012 with the single album ‘Sanbarama Gangbarama.’ Song Ga-in actively promotes messages emphasizing the importance of Gugak.
Earlier, according to the ‘2022 Revised Music Curriculum Draft’ released by the Ministry of Education in mid-April, Gugak-related content was excluded from the achievement standards, which represent educational goals. Achievement standards serve as the basis for school lessons, evaluations, and textbook compilation. In the 2015 revised curriculum, six items related to Gugak were explicitly stated as achievement standards. Gugak accounted for 30-40% of the content in elementary, middle, and high school music textbooks.
In this context, Song Ga-in shared a condemnation statement from the Gugak community on Instagram regarding the ‘2022 Revised Music Curriculum Draft’ and called for a complete overhaul of the curriculum. The Gugak community is preparing an event to denounce the problems with the curriculum revision. On the 15th at 3 p.m., a ‘Cultural Festival for the Future of Gugak Education’ for all Gugak artists will be held at Cheonggye Square in Jung-gu, Seoul. Song Ga-in is also expected to attend.
This event, organized by Gugak organizations such as the National Association of Gugak Educators, holds special significance as it is held on Teachers’ Day amid the crisis of Gugak education reduction. National Gugak university students, Gugak artists, and citizens who love Gugak will gather to voice criticism of the Ministry of Education’s policy.
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