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At the Yeak Hall of the National Gugak Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 5th, where the "Second Gugak Day" ceremony was held, the director of the National Gugak Center was, in fact, absent. The director's post has been vacant for two years since the previous director retired on June 9, 2024, at the end of his term. Although more than a year has passed since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, the situation remains unchanged.
This is not to say there were no procedures to appoint a director. On the contrary, the post was put up for open recruitment a total of four times across the conservative and progressive administrations. A representative example is the effort in early 2025 to select a director from outside the circle of Seoul National University's gugak department graduates—who had monopolized the position over the past 30 years—which ultimately failed amid backlash from some gugak figures. While Korea touts itself as a cultural powerhouse, the gugak community still lacks a "leader" to carry out the policies of a new era.
"Gugak Day" was designated as a legal commemorative day under the "Gugak Promotion Act," enforced in July 2024, and this year marked the second ceremony following last year's. Last year's was held amid the unstable circumstances after the Dec. 3 martial law and impeachment, and organizationally, that fluid situation has carried over into this year.
In his commemorative address at the ceremony at 5 p.m., Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young said, "On June 5, the very day Yeominrak was first recorded in the Annals of King Sejong, on Gugak Day, we reflect on the value of Yeominrak—that all the people enjoy our music together." He added, "Gugak has become the firm root of Korean music and culture today, breathing alongside diverse audiences around the world and serving as a source of new creation."
"Gugak Day, now in its second year, has grown richer," he said, adding, "21 basic local governments across the country that have enacted gugak promotion ordinances are taking part, and members of the National Youth Yeonhui Troupe and National Youth Dance Troupe—launched last year to nurture future-generation gugak talent—are also participating as performers." He emphasized, "The Ministry will continue to spare no policy support so that gugak permeates the daily lives of our people more closely and more deeply, becoming a resonance and comfort in everyday life."
Cho Heung-dong, a member of the National Academy of Arts and holder of the Seoul cultural heritage Hallyangmu dance, who delivered congratulatory remarks, said, "I have heard that the minister has long held deep affection and interest in culture and the arts overall, including musicals." He added, "I ask for the minister's warm support and continued interest in our traditional culture's gugak and Korean dance—the matrix of this land's arts—as much as in modern stage arts."
The ceremony also featured the awarding of the "Republic of Korea Yeominrak Prize," honoring the achievements of those who have devoted themselves to promoting gugak. This year, Yeongdong County in Chungcheongbuk-do and Kim Chang-hwan, artistic director of the Gangwon State Provincial Gugak Orchestra, who contributed to regional gugak development, received commendations from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Marking "Gugak Day" and "Gugak Week," various gugak performances and experience events will be held through the 14th. At the Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang's "Donhwamun Gugak Week (June 5–6)," there will be stages exploring the birth and aesthetics of sound, while at the Namsan Octagonal Pavilion (7th), traditional yeonhui and traditional dance performances open to foreign tourists will take place. In addition, the "Republic of Korea Traditional Yeonhui Festival," featuring young performers and masters, will be held at the Seoul Forest outdoor stage (8th–11th), and at the National Gugak Center's Yeak Hall (11th–12th), audiences can see the new work "The King's Altar, the People's Stage," which presents both the Jongmyo Jeryeak and Sajik Jeryeak together.
Some 50 performances, educational programs and commemorative events will also be held in Incheon, Sejong, Gwangju, Busan and elsewhere.
