THU, MARCH 28, 2024
Talchum, Mask Dance Drama in the Republic of Korea
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Talchum, Mask Dance Drama in the Republic of Korea
  • By Cultural Heritage Administration
  • 승인 2023.04.25 04:00
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Talchum is a performing art that encompasses dance, music, and theatre. An ensemble of six to ten musicians accompanies masked performers who sing and dance and exchange verbal interactions through theatrical movements.
Talchum - Korean Mask Dance Drama
Talchum - Korean Mask Dance Drama

Originally created during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), Korean mask dance dramas intrinsically entail anachronistic aspects of traditional Korean society, such as male dominance, a rigid social hierarchy, and references to the socially disadvantaged without due respect to the hardships they have endured.


The primary themes satirized by traditional mask dance dramas include the hypocrisy of Buddhist monks, the arrogance of the yangban nobility, and people's suffering under the male-dominated patriarchal system. Diverse social issues are humorously explored through dramatic combinations of songs, dances, movements, and words. Masks with exaggerated archetypical representations of everyday personages are an indispensable element in the presentation of talchum.


Themed around the criticism of the absurdities and ills of traditional society, the Korean mask dance dramas illustrate the escalation of conflicts stemming from these issues, but eventually end either with a reconciliatory dance encompassing all parties or in the promotion of virtue and punishment of vice. Therefore, talchum is not really an art about conflict, but one about harmony and reconciliation.

A specific culture in Korea
A specific culture in Korea

Left An elementary school student at the basic education course of Gasan Ogwangdae, wearing a mask made from paper. Right Lion dance at the Bongsan Talchum. The lion is sent by Buddha to punish the corrupted monk. The monk repents, and the lion forgives the monk and they dance together

A Korean mask dance drama does not require a formal stage: Any empty space can become a venue for talchum. The audience for a masked-dance drama are not passive spectators, but important participants. They complete the production with their cheers and jeers as the drama unfolds. Talchum is a dynamic theatrical flow of action and sound created through the combined efforts of both the players and spectators.


This flexibility provided to talchum by the audience's active participation and its thematic orientation toward social criticism gave birth to the unique phenomenon of large-scale transmission of talchum among young people, particularly university students, during the 1970-80s.

Masks used for the talchum tradition transmitted in the Songpa area of Seoul
Masks used for the talchum tradition transmitted in the Songpa area of Seoul

Talchum is practiced in various regions across the Republic of Korea, with the Seoul/ Gyeonggi-do/Incheon area and the Busan/Gyeongsangnam-do area being the main loci of transmission. It exhibits distinct characteristics based on the transmission region, as suggested by the diverse local names referring to each area’s mask dance dramas. It is called Sandae Nori and Byeolsandae Nori in the Seoul/Gyeonggi-do area, but respectively Yaryu and Ogwangdae in the Busan/Gyeongsangnam-do area. There are mask dance drama traditions in Gangwon-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do Provinces as well, respectively known as Gwanno Gamyeongeuk, Hahoe Byeolsingut Talnori and Cheongdan Noreum. The traditions originating in North Korea but currently practiced in the Seoul/Incheon/ Gangwon-do area by North Korean migrant communities are termed Saja Noreum, Saja Nori, and talchum. Talchum is also practiced in several countries beyond the Republic of Korea where ethnic Koreans reside. It is currently being practiced in North Korea as well.


Individual talchum practitioners are affiliated with respective safeguarding associations. These associations all conduct a wide range of education and training activities drawing on their experience and expertise and the willing participation of their members. They are voluntary grassroots organizations with their operations executed through the collaborative efforts of the membership. They include officially recognized masters who provide a focal point for the transmission of the element based on accumulated experience and performance skills, including the crafting of the required masks. The members also conduct various transmission activities depending on their personal specialties and years of experience, such as serving as talchum trainers or workshop lecturers, participating in performances, and pursuing academic research.

Jiyeon Gwangdae's dance at the Yechoen Cheongdan Noreum. Four Jiyeon Gwangdaes, wearing masks made from winnows, symbolize the four directions (NSEW) and four seasons
Jiyeon Gwangdae's dance at the Yechoen Cheongdan Noreum. Four Jiyeon Gwangdaes, wearing masks made from winnows, symbolize the four directions (NSEW) and four seasons

The individual talchum safeguarding associations have gathered to form the General Federation of Korean Mask Dance Associations. Also operated through voluntary efforts, this group is committed to serving as a communication medium and providing a cooperative network among its affiliates. In addition, the broader general public can be found learning talchum at public educational institutions and practicing it as a pastime. Elementary, middle, and high school students experience talchum through both curricular and extracurricular programs. University students and other adult Koreans practice talchum in hobby clubs. There are numerous cases of people first encountering mask dance drama as an amateur interest, receiving professional training, and eventually entering a talchum safeguarding association. Unlike in the past, women now actively take part in the practice and transmission of the element. Talchum has been listed on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage inventory since the 1960s, when the legal framework for intangible cultural heritage was first established. People in Korea have been perceiving talchum as a symbol of traditional performing arts and intangible cultural heritage for generations.


Considering the nationwide appreciation and awareness of this element, talchum’s inscription has reminded the Korean people that a local form of representative intangible heritage can become the intangible heritage of all humanity. It will serve as an opportunity to heighten their sense of community and their cultural identity as Koreans.

Gilnori parade of Bukcheong Saja Noreum. The guide leads all performers to the center to dance together
Gilnori parade of Bukcheong Saja Noreum. The guide leads all performers to the center to dance together

More info: The Korean Mask Dance Drama


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