Seoul Weekend Events: Experience the 2025 Cultural Heritage Gugak Festival at Tapgol Park
If you’re spending the weekend in Seoul, here’s a chance to experience something truly special: a festival where tradition meets modernity in the heart of the city.
On Saturday, September 27, 2025, at 2 PM, the 2025 Cultural Heritage Gugak Festival will be held at Tapgol Park in Jongno, offering free performances that blend gugak (Korean traditional music) with modern artistic expressions.
A Historic Venue with Timeless Meaning
Tapgol Park is not just a peaceful green space—it’s a symbolic site in Korea’s modern history. Hosting gugak here connects past and present, generations and cultures, making the experience more than just a concert.
Festival Highlights You Shouldn’t Miss
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Pansori Master Jeong Ok-hyang
As the holder of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage designation for Sugungga (a pansori story about a witty rabbit outsmarting a turtle), Jeong Ok-hyang will take center stage. Her powerful voice and humor-filled storytelling will showcase the depth of pansori, Korea’s traditional narrative singing art. -
Namdo Folk Songs
Jeong and her students will perform southern-style folk songs, showing how traditions are passed down across generations. -
Traditional Performances
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Namsadang Nori (a folk performance with music, acrobatics, and mask dance)
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Taepyeongseongdae (a large wind instrument ensemble symbolizing peace and prosperity)
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Yeoldujanggo (a dynamic performance using 12 drums in harmony)
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Jultagi (tightrope walking that mixes storytelling, jokes, and incredible balance skills)
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Fusion Stage
Popular singers Kim Serena and Sung Min-ho will bring a modern touch, while B-boy crews and Taekwondo performers add powerful energy. This fusion of East and West, tradition and modernity, creates an atmosphere accessible even for those new to gugak.
Hosted for Everyone
The festival will be hosted by broadcaster Bae Dong-seong, who will guide the audience with explanations about gugak’s history and meaning. His engaging style ensures that even first-time visitors will understand and enjoy the performances.
Most importantly, this is a citizen-participatory festival:
✅ Admission is completely free.
✅ Families, tourists, and locals of all ages are welcome.
Why This Festival Matters
The Cultural Heritage Gugak Festival is more than entertainment—it’s a cultural experiment, reimagining the future of Korean traditional music. By presenting gugak alongside dance, pop music, and even hip-hop, it shows how tradition is alive and evolving.
As Jeong Ok-hyang said:
“Gugak is not the music of a single generation, but the voice of an entire nation.”
This is your chance to hear that voice in one of Seoul’s most historic parks.
📌 Event Details
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Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025, 2:00 PM
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Venue: Tapgol Park, Jongno-gu, Seoul
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Host: Korean Traditional Music Preservation Society
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Sponsors: Seoul Metropolitan Government, Jongno District
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Admission: Free
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Inquiries: Korean Traditional Music Preservation Society
✅ Quick Summary
If you’re in Seoul during the weekend, Sept. 7, don’t just stick to shopping malls and tourist attractions. Head to Tapgol Park for the 2025 Cultural Heritage Gugak Festival.
With pansori, folk songs, drum and tightrope performances, plus modern B-boy and Taekwondo acts, this free festival will give you an unforgettable taste of Korea’s living traditions.
전통과 현대가 만나는 무대, ‘2025 문화유산 국악의 향연’ 탑골공원서 개최
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2025 문화유산 국악의 향연 – 서울 탑골공원에서 열리는 무료 국악 축제
추석 연휴를 앞두고 서울 도심 한복판에서 전통과 현대가 어우러진 국악 축제가 열립니다.
오는 2025년 9월 27일 토요일 오후 2시, 종로구 탑골공원에서 ‘2025 문화유산 국악의 향연’이 개최됩니다. 이번 행사는 (사)국악문화보존회가 주최하고 서울시와 종로구가 후원하는 무료 시민 참여형 축제입니다.
주요 프로그램
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판소리 명창 정옥향 선생의 특별 무대 (수궁가 공연)
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제자들과 함께하는 남도 민요 공연
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전통 연희: 남사당놀이, 태평성대, 열두장고, 줄타기
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현대 공연: 가수 김세레나, 성민호 무대 + 비보이, 태권도 퍼포먼스
축제의 특징
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무료 입장, 남녀노소 누구나 즐길 수 있는 열린 축제
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방송인 배동성의 사회로, 공연 사이사이에 국악의 의미를 알기 쉽게 해설
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국악을 처음 접하는 관객도 부담 없이 즐길 수 있는 전통과 현대의 융합 무대
행사 개요
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일시: 2025년 9월 27일(토) 오후 2시
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장소: 서울 종로구 탑골공원
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주최: (사)국악문화보존회
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후원: 서울특별시, 종로구
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관람료: 무료