KOREAN TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYED IN BERLIN

[Anchor Lead]

Traditional Korean music for royal ancestral ritual held at Jongmyo Shrine known as Jongmyo Jeryeak was performed at the concert hall of the Berlin Philharmonic, one of the world's top three symphony orchestras. Immersed in the charm of "gukak," or Korean traditional music, German audience members gave an enthusiastic applause to the performance. Jongmyo Jeryeak will go on a monthlong tour all across Germany this month.

[Pkg]

Performers take a bow before the audience. And finally the show begins. The Jongmyo Jeryeak ritual music received a lot of praise over the years. It's described as a masterpiece of Korean art and listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Even for the National Gugak Center, this is the first time performing at the Berlin Philharmonic concert hall. The tense mood serves to deliver a top notch performance. Viewers hold their breath and focus on every detail of the stage, including the unfamiliar melody, colorful costume and refined dance moves.

[Soundbite] Winrich Hopp(Artistic director, Musikfest Berlin) : "I believe people's interest will not end with this show. This only marks the beginning."

After the 70 minute show, the fully packed auditorium responds with a thunderous applause that continues for more than 10 minutes.

[Soundbite] (Spectator) : "I loved it. I was surprised by the splendid wardrobe."

[Soundbite] Kim Chae-won(Nat'l Gugak Center) : "It's the first time we're receiving such a long and fervent applause. Our performers must be touched, moved and excited."

With three and a half years in the making, the performance was jointly hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in Germany and Musikfest Berlin. The National Gugak Center will continue the Jongmyo Jeryeak tour through this month at the invitation of major German cities including Hamburg, Munich and Cologne.

[Soundbite] Lee Chung-il(Korean Cultural Center in Germany) : "History was made today in the Korean performance sector. Our center will continue to cooperate with local agencies to actively promote Korean culture and earn German people's love."

The performance was also broadcast online at a fee through the Berlin Philharmonic's digital concert hall online platform. The tour validates changes in how the European music scene views traditional Korean music.