ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the significance of an identification with place in the formation of Korean traditional music (kugak) and the effect this has had on the development of contemporary forms of the music. It argues that the relationships between place and music have been constructed, mediated, negotiated, and canonized during the process of modernization, and have been mobilized to certify the authenticity of certain genres, repertoires, and practitioners. The chapter uses this understanding to examine how place, at the intersection with locality and understandings of originality, has been constructed as traditional music was revived and institutionalized to form the basis of contemporary music-making during the twentieth century in South Korea. The earliest transformation of performance activities and the circulation and reception of music was made possible by the establishment of modern theatres, which in turn introduced management systems. In 1962, the Cultural Properties Protection Law (Munhwajae pohobop) was enacted to preserve Korea’s traditional culture.
