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Contemporary Korean Music in Context: Bridging Tradition, Modernity, and the Global Stage

Editor: Madlen Poguntke, Anna Yates-Lu, HeeSook Oh
Author: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Publisher: , 2026
Link to online store *

This book encloses an interdisciplinary examination of Korean music’s evolution, contextual interactions, and global positioning from historical, sociocultural, and aesthetic perspectives. It brings together various scholarly contributions to analyse Korean music’s transformations, innovations, and cultural suggestions, with a focus on its historical roots and contemporary manifestations. This book captures the multifaceted dynamics in Korean music, showcasing its adaptability and global importance while addressing cultural identity, tradition, and innovation.

Contents

Introduction

  1. Mapping Korean Music: Tradition, Classical Forms, K-Pop, and More | Madlen Poguntke

Korean Music and Its National Focused Impact

  1. Shifts and Stasis in the Promotion of Gugak: Observing and Interacting with Korean Music, 1979–2024 | Keith Howard
  2. Beyond Cultural Boundaries—The Aesthetics of Interculturality in the 21st-Century-Korean Contemporary Music | HeeSook Oh
  3. Changgeuk as a Window into Shifting Perceptions of Gender in Korean Society | Anna Yates-Lu
  4. Origins of Global Korean Music: Overseas Performances of South Korean Traditional Music During the Cold War Period | Hee-sun Kim
  5. Pop Stars, the Korean Government, and the Forgotten Stakeholders of Tradition | CedarBough T. Saeji
  6. Legitimizing Fandom: K-pop Playback Formats and Collecting Real Music | Roald Maliangkay

Korean Music and Its International Focused Impact

  1. Classicism and Inter-Asian Collaboration in Contemporary Music: The cases of “Eternal Pine” by Chou Wen-chung/Yi Jiyang, and “Šu” by Unsuk Chin/Wu Wei | Nancy Yunhwa Rao
  2. Are Korean Musicians Competition-Minded? History of Competition and New Paths | Hojoung Kim
  3. Two Is Better Than One: The Dynamics of Music-Making in American-Korean Collaborations | Mingyeong Son
  4. Strategies and Issues of Sustainability in Korean Drumming and Performing Arts Organizations in the United States | Donna Lee Kwon, Gina Choi
  5. Inventing a “Pan”: History of Pansori’s Reception in France | Yumi Han

Source: publisher’s website

External links:

* Where the book is available from a number of sources, they are prioritised as follows: (1) Amazon UK site, or Bookshop.org for the more recent uploads (2) Amazon US site (3) Other sites in US or Europe, including second-hand outlets (4) LTI Korea, where the title is advertised as available from there (5) Onlines stores in Korea. Links to Bookshop.org and Amazon UK site contain an affiliate code which, should you make a purchase, gives a small commission to LKL at no additional cost to you.