Detail

Ganggangsullae is a seasonal harvest and fertility ritual held to wish for a bountiful harvest and has developed into a cultural symbol for Korea. It incorporates singing and dancing in a circle with joined hands, usually performed by women. Popular in the southwestern part of the Republic of Korea, this custom has traditionally been performed on the mid-autumn harvest festival of Chuseok, and the year’s first full moon day of Daeboreum, which are the crucial times of seasonal change. Korea Post is issuing another commemorative stamp series introducing the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ganggangsullae, which was inscribed in 2009 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Ganggangsullae is a multidisciplinary form of the performing arts mainly consisting of singing and dancing, sometimes accompanied by music played by simple instruments. The dance takes its name from the refrain repeated after each verse, though the term`s origin and meaning are unknown, and the musical form follows a call and response pattern. Depending on the tempo set by the lead singer, the Ganggangsullae is categorized into gin (slow), jung (moderate), and jajin (fast), which affect the tempo of the stomping as well. While dancing, Korean folk games that reflect daily life are also played, including giwa bapgi (rooftile treading), namsaenga norara (tortoise play), gosari kkeokgi (bracken picking), cheongeo yeokgi (herring tying), deokseong molgi (straw mat rolling), sonchigi balchigi (clapping hands and feet), munjigi nori (gatekeeping), and kkori ttagi (tail picking). In the past, it was not easy for women to sing loudly or go out at night. however, by performing Ganggangsullae under a bright full moon, women could enjoy freedom and a festive mood while developing a mutual understanding of solidarity with their neighbors. This commemorative stamp series depicts a group of women dancing and singing in a basic circular form of Ganggangsullae and people playing the rooftile treading. The background presents a mood of abundance in autumn with a bright full moon and a field of reeds. We hope the stamp serves as an opportunity for you to feel the beauty of Ganggangsullae, one of the precious UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Korea, which has been promulgated from generation to generation.