'Hwasung Yeokmal Nongak' Designated as Hwasung City's Local Cultural Asset

Nongak Performed in Donghwa-ri, Bongdam-eup Area During the Joseon Dynasty

The traditional Nongak performance 'Hwaseong Yeokmal Nongak' in Bongdam-eup, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do has been designated as a city folk cultural asset.

Hwaseong City announced on the 23rd that it designated 'Hwaseong Yeokmal Nongak' as the second folk cultural asset and delivered the certificate to the Hwaseong Yeokmal Nongak Preservation Society, which was selected as the holder group, on the 22nd.

At the Hwaseong City Local Intangible Cultural Heritage Designation Certificate Award Ceremony, members of the Hwaseong Yeokmal Nongak Preservation Society pledge to continue the tradition.
[Photo by Hwaseong City]

'Hwaseong Yeokmal Nongak' is a Nongak performance centered around the Yeokmal area called 'Donghwa Yeok' in Donghwa-ri, Bongdam-eup, Hwaseong-si during the Joseon Dynasty. It consists of core parts such as Jin-nori and Beokgu-noreum, as well as newly added elements by the late Kang Eun-jung, the sangsoe (lead percussionist), including training rituals, magpie steps, sitting rituals, and marching rhythms.

Nongak developed alongside various performance cultures such as Dure and Jisinbalgi in the Yeokmal area, which was a transportation hub where many goods and people passed through. It is estimated that village residents organized the Hwaseong Yeokmal Nongak Preservation Society in 1909 to preserve this tradition.

The Hwaseong City Folk Cultural Asset Committee highly evaluated the local significance of Bongdam Yeokmal, diverse transmission activities such as performances and education, the willingness to pass on the tradition, and the expertise and artistic skills in Nongak last month. Consequently, they designated Hwaseong Yeokmal Nongak as a Hwaseong City folk intangible cultural asset and selected the Hwaseong Yeokmal Nongak Preservation Society as the holder group.

The Hwaseong Yeokmal Nongak Preservation Society has maintained its lineage despite the risk of discontinuation due to new town developments in the Bongdam area in the 2000s. Notably, the preservation society includes not only residents of Donghwa-ri but also younger generations trained and educated in the village’s Nongak by these residents.

Sohn Im-seong, Vice Mayor of Hwaseong, said, "Hwaseong Yeokmal Nongak possesses historical and artistic skills representative of Hwaseong, and its value is high as local natives have passed it down through generations. We will strive to create an environment where the history and culture of the Hwaseong area can further flourish."