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Korea is a country, which is rich in its culture of music. The Korean songs have its own distinctive quality in spite of the tremendous and strong influences of music from China.
The Korean songs of the traditional nature can be sub divided into two major categories:
- chong-ak
- sog-ak
Chong-ak represents the set of Korean songs for the ruling class and Sog-ak represent the Korean songs for the common people respectively. Within these two major categories of the Korean songs there are many types or rather various subcategories that make up the whole range of the Korean songs.
The Korean songs that are meant for the upper class consists of a type of ensemble songs that are is known as p'ungnyu. P'ungnyu is the most sophisticated genre of the Korean songs. P'ungnyu is an archaic word that earlier meant music.
Its present trans-literal meaning denotes the state of a human being where he/she is at leisure physically and mentally and also removes him/her-self from the everyday world into a world that is harmonious.
In this state the person is ready for the appreciation of poetry, music, and the companionship. Nevertheless, when this term is used in the context of the classical Korean songs, it refers to a kind of ensemble of music that is meant for the nobility.
One variety of the Korean songs called chul-p'ungnyu, consists mainly of the Sog-ak category of Korean songs. These Korean songs are meant for the commoner and it includes the shaman music, Buddhist music, folk songs, and also the farmers' music which is called nong-ak
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