Ajaeng sanjo, hanryang dance and samhyeon yukgak take the stage

About 100 citizens attend, try traditional fan-making

The Onso Stage cultural arts program held Wednesday at Ondream Society in Myeong-dong, Seoul. [Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation]
The Onso Stage cultural arts program held Wednesday at Ondream Society in Myeong-dong, Seoul. [Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation]

The Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation held the July edition of its Onso Stage cultural arts program — titled "Hanryang, Walking Through Today" — on Wednesday at Ondream Society in Myeong-dong, Seoul, the foundation announced Friday.

About 100 citizens attended, taking in traditional Korean arts including ajaeng sanjo (a solo improvisation for the ajaeng, a bowed zither), hanryang dance and samhyeon yukgak (a traditional ensemble), and savoring the leisurely spirit of a midsummer night.

Onso Stage launched in November 2023 with a focus on classical music and has held monthly performances since the start of this year, expanding its lineup to include jazz and traditional Korean music alongside classical. The foundation said it runs the program to broaden performance opportunities for traditional arts such as gugak and to bring those art forms closer to the general public.

The evening centered on the free-spirited ethos of the "hanryang," a figure from the Joseon era known for a life of leisure and artistic pleasure. Hosted by gugak guide Jeon Mi-seon, the stage featured Kim Si-won, a practitioner of the Seoul Intangible Heritage hanryang dance; Kim Hui-su, a practitioner of the Seoul Intangible Heritage samhyeon yukgak; and ajaeng player Bae Ho-yeong, who performed "Yun Yun-seok Style Ajaeng Sanjo" and the original choreographic work "Jaeng," among other pieces.

Traditional fans crafted by Kim Dae-seong, a certified practitioner of the National Intangible Heritage fan-making craft, were also on display. Before the performance, pre-registered attendees took part in a hands-on fan-making workshop, and audience members enjoyed traditional tea and refreshments while taking in the performance and exhibition.

Jeong Mu-seong, chairman of the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation, said the foundation would continue to create opportunities for more audiences to experience gugak and traditional arts as interest in them grows alongside the global rise of K-content. "We will work to establish Onso Stage as a program that broadens the reach of traditional culture and offers citizens a moment of rest in their everyday lives," he said.

The foundation plans to keep offering Onso Stage performances spanning classical, jazz and traditional Korean music so that all citizens can enjoy the arts without barriers. Upcoming performance schedules are available on the official Instagram channel of Ondream Society.

Meanwhile, the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation has also been expanding its talent-development efforts, recently launching the CMK Science and Technology Fellows (postdoctoral researchers) program to nurture the next generation of science and technology researchers and selecting its first eight recipients.


eyre@heraldcorp.com