A Study on National identity in China and Korea through the lens of traditional music

초록

As a principal vehicle of cultural memory, traditional music plays a significant role in shaping national identity. This study employs a comparative cultural analysis method, examining representative musical practices, ritual contexts, and transmission systems in China and Korea. Primary sources, performance materials, and policy documents are comparatively analyzed to identify how ritual–music traditions, narrative–affective structures, and institutional frameworks contribute to identity formation. The results show that China constructs national identity through a model of horizontal diffusion, translating the li–yue (ritual–music) paradigm into public cultural symbols via intangible heritage policy, stage production, and general education. In contrast, Korea sustains identity through vertical deep continuity, preserving the unity of ritual–music–dance in living ceremonies such as Jongmyo jerye and reinforcing communal affect through pansori and nongak. The study demonstrates that traditional music continues to function as an active cultural resource in contemporary society, offering effective pathways for strengthening national cohesion and rearticulating cultural identity under globalization.

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