Cho Jihoon’s aesthetics is based on the Confucian literati’s spirit, choesado, and on the Buddhist idea of non-duality. He presented the theory of meot, meaning taste originally, as a Korean-specific aesthetic category in his Study of Meot, where he synthesized the previously discussed theories of other scholars into twelve elements. Discussing the formal characteristics of works that have the aesthetic quality of meot, he took unrefinedness as basic, and cited diversity, eurhythmy, and curvature as its subtraits. Discussing the compositional power (...) or method of expression that provokes meot, he took hyperstandard as basic, and the subtraits include maturity, distortion, and playfulness. Furthermore, he discussed meot as an emotion or idea that Koreans live with, where the most basic one is otiosity (impracticality), and assimilation, moderation, and optimism are its subtraits. Finally, he identified meot as the ultimate aesthetic state with pungryu, a lifestyle in harmony with Nature, which is originated from the ancient Silla period. (shrink)

To Korean people by the end of the 19th century who had previously enjoyed only traditional music genres, the music introduced by the hands of the missionaries must have been very new and unfamiliar. One hundred and a few decades since the meagre beginning of the meeting between the two has now passed, Korea has transformed into a modernized society where all kinds of music are performed and enjoyed, among which Western classical and popular music exist with considerable weight. In (...) the course of the development, there were constant exchanges between Korean traditional music and Western music. Korean traditional music has been subject at one end to defensive modification under the motto of transmission and at another end to aggressive destruction of some core aspects of the tradition under the motto of re-creation. This phenomenon creates important aesthetic issues in this study deals with the spectrum between the two ends drawn up by the traditional vocal genre, gagok. (shrink)

This paper aims to introduce the historical traditions of Korean aesthetics, focusing on the views of prominent thinkers, and further examine the contemporary tasks of Korean aesthetics. Thanks to 'chinoiserie' and 'japonism', Chinese and Japanese aesthetics were introduced to Europe relatively early, but Korean aesthetics has received little attention until recently. Korea has developed a great art culture with a long historical tradition and unique language in East Asian culture, and has accomplished its own specific achievements in aesthetics.

This paper aims to introduce the historical traditions of Korean aesthetics, focusing on the views of prominent thinkers, and further examine the contemporary tasks of Korean aesthetics. Thanks to 'chinoiserie' and 'japonism', Chinese and Japanese aesthetics were introduced to Europe relatively early, but Korean aesthetics has received little attention until recently. Korea has developed a great art culture with a long historical tradition and unique language in East Asian culture, and has accomplished its own specific achievements in aesthetics.

禮樂論은 선비의 음악을 지배하는 핵심 이념이다. 樂은 예의 최상 단계이자 자기완성을 위한 조건이다. 공자는 악의 도야를 통해 인격을 완성하는 成於樂을 강조하였다. 예악은 수신과 치국의 근본이자 유학의 귀착점으로, 악이 가지는 和의 특성은 개인 성정의 도야뿐만 아니라 백성을 교화하는 핵심적인 도구로 활용되었다. 유가는 예악을 정치와 사회, 도덕, 교육과 밀접하게 연결하고, 악을 통해 민심을 선도하며 풍속을 바꿀 수 있다고 판단하였다. 악은 왕도정치 구현을 위한 의미 있는 도구였다.BR 풍류는 조선 선비들의 교양을 실천하는 문화적 행위였다. 선비들은 자연 속을 노닐며 사물과 현상의 궁극을 추구하고 대자연과 우주의 (...) 섭리를 깨닫고자 하였다. 풍류에 악은 필수적이었다. 선비들에게 악은 수신의 과정이자 음 자체에 대한 관심을 통해 미를 추구하는 것으로 감각적인 것에서부터 관념적이고 형이상학적인 면까지를 두루 포괄하였다. (shrink)