Korean classical music, known as gugak, has a history that dates back over a thousand years.
The natural sound of gugak is prized, but there's a secret behind how that sound is achieved in today's modern theaters.
Yim Yoonhee has the story.
Gugak stems from a long, rich history, and has maintained Korea's cultural heritage through time.
There are various genres of music within gugak, linked together through the use of traditional Korean instruments.
There are no microphones on stage, or speakers to project the sounds, yet every pluck of the gayageum and boom of the buk is crisp and clear to the audience members who are listening.


"They don't use a mic, but you can still hear the individual sounds of each instrument, which is really special."

The set pieces on a gugak stage are typically centered, and there's a traditional folding screen placed center stage to amplify the sounds of the instruments.
The material of the folding screen plays a role as well.
There is a piece of special sound-absorbing material placed behind a piece of sound-reflecting material to block all unnecessary sounds from reaching the audience.

Meanwhile, the instruments used in gugak have a significantly shorter reverberation time of only 1.2 seconds at most... as compared to classical instruments with much longer reverberation times.
To compensate, the stage is designed and arranged to create the ideal setting for the instruments.


"With gugak instruments, the reverberations are short. So if it's played in a hall made for long reverberations, the sounds are dulled and jumbled. Instruments with reverberations that are shorter than classical instruments need a different setting for the optimal sound."

The National Gugak Center holds regular performances... to preserve Korea's traditions, and lead the music of gugak into the future.
Yim Yoon-hee, Arirang News.