News

Jo Nov 4, 2022

Okryugum was invented in the 1970s as an original national flick instrument by developing wagonghu, one of the old national instruments that had been passed down from ancient times. Chairman Kim Jong Il, the great leader of the Korean people, gave detailed instructions several times ranging from its shape, size, number of strings, tune adjustors, volume and pitch to wood engraving ornament so that it could be built perfectly in quality as required by the development of contemporary music. When it was completed, he personally named it okryugum as it produced clear silvery sounds. Okryugum has not so long a history, but it is regarded as a precious cultural inheritance of the Korean nation since it is an instrument of a high level perfect enough to meet the requirements of modern music.

Okryugum consists of the body made up of a resonance box and tune adjusting pedals, and the legs. The seven tune adjusting pedals attached to the legs make variations possible in any conditions. It has a total of 33 strings. It has two bridges on the resonance box; one on the front side and the other on the eight pillars at the back.

Okryugum is a C instrument which ranges from C2 to G4. There are seven pedals that are arranged in order of C, D, E, B, A, G and F from the left.

Okryugum produces clear, elegant and beautiful tones true to the meaning of its name. Its tone is so diverse that a single pluck sounds like a harp, a piano, a kayagum or a guitar. Such tones blend well to produce a silvery one. Since it fully supports a chromatic scale and vibratos like a kayagum, it is regarded as a unique and excellent national instrument with a great power of expression. It is used as a solo instrument and plays an important part in a national instrument ensemble as well as in guaranteeing the national colouring and sentiment of the mixed orchestra of a Juche type with extraordinary tones and ample volume.

Ri Yong Ho, section head at the Academy of Social Sciences