Buyeo-gun Chungnam Gugak Group’s Saturday Show

Buyeo was the last capital of the Baekje kingdom, and this weekly show by the Buyeo-gun Chungnam Gugak Group carries on that era's musical traditions. The program mixes instrumental music, sori (vocal), pungmul (percussion) and dance, including a reinterpretation of the Five Musicians of Baekje, gayageum byeongchang, and Han Young-sook's Taepyeongmu. It's a long-running show (since 2008, with a new theme each year) performed by a group with decades of experience, so it's a solid way to see varied Korean traditional performing arts in one sitting.

Buyeo has no KTX station, so the usual route is an intercity/express bus from a Seoul bus terminal direct to Buyeo Bus Terminal, roughly a 2 to 2.5 hour ride. From Buyeo Bus Terminal, the Gugak Center in Gyuam-myeon is outside the town center, so plan on a local taxi or bus for the final leg. Alternatively, travelers can take a train toward the Nonsan/Iksan area and transfer to a local bus or taxi into Buyeo.

Buyeo served as the capital of Baekje during the Three Kingdoms period, and it has a history of remarkable cultural and artistic achievements. The Buyeo-gun Chungnam Gugak Group, an artistic ensemble that perpetuates the musical traditions of Baekje, has engaged with audiences through over 100 performances annually since its establishment in 1994. The group presents a variety of performances in four categories: instrumental music, sori, pungmul, and dance.

The Saturday Show, which commenced in 2008, offers a distinctive form of entertainment to the audience with a novel theme introduced every year. In 2022, the theme was "A Journey to Baekje with Gugak," where the history and culture of Baekje were expressed through music. In 2023 and 2024, the performances continued under the theme of "Baneuijihui,” which is defined as "playing in colorful children's clothes." The performance aims to evoke a sense of childlike joy and wonder among all age groups thus leaving a lasting impression on family visitors.

Additionally, the performance encompasses a selection of refined gugak, including The Five Musicians of Baekje*, a contemporary reinterpretation of the five musicians in Great Gilt-Bronze Incense Burner of Baekje, a national treasure; Gayageum Byeongchang (“a voice with gayageum”), which melds sentimental lyrics with exquisite gayageum melodies; Han Young-sook’s Taepyeongmu, which features sophisticated dance movements; and an exhilarating instrumental ensemble music and pangut.

* The Five Musicians of Baekje: Refers to the five musicians depicted on the Baekje Geumdongdaehyangro or, Great Gilt-Bronze Incense Burner of Baekje, who are seated and playing a variety of instruments.