The Eoeungeum or 어은금, a North Korean equivalent of the mandolin

**Dusepo** · Nov-13-2021, 4:36pm

I thought I'd share something with you that I recently came across online, because it might interest you mandolinists.

In North Korea, there is a range of instruments which have been developed which are modernised factory-made versions of traditional Korean instruments. These are all made in North Korea, as part of the 'Juche' or 'self-reliance' political ideology*. I'd seen some of these before, mainly the bowed ones and zithers, but the other day I came across one which is analogous to the mandolin or mandola. The sound seems to me quite similar to a domra, or even closer to a Ukrainian kobza.

Here's a video:

Here are some pictures:

*I am sharing this for information purposes only, and this is not a statement of my political views.

**Simon DS** · Nov-13-2021, 5:24pm

Thanks. Nice looking instruments too, are they tuned in fourths?

**DavidKOS** · Nov-14-2021, 7:49am

Reminds me of the Vietnamese đàn tứ:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%C3%A0n_t%E1%BB%A9

http://cuahangnhaccu.vn/nhac-cu/dan-tu-thung.html

**Dusepo** · Nov-14-2021, 7:51am

Originally Posted by Simon DS

Thanks. Nice looking instruments too, are they tuned in fourths?

I'm afraid I don't know the tuning. I wonder if someone can figure it out based on videos and fingerings?

There's an interesting video here where a North Korean defector talks about the instrument on South Korean TV:
Luckily, since I don't speak Korean, there's a translation:

Yes, we will take the time to learn more about North Korean folk music.

Seohee Han, a graduate of Pyongyang University of Music and Dance, came to the studio.

She has been here for a long time.

Hello.

It is said that Han Seo-hee learned vocal music from the North Korean Ministry of People's Security's ensemble.

Eo Eun-geum, a North Korean national musical instrument, would you like to introduce a little bit?

[answer]

What is this instrument called Eoeumeum?

It was made by improving our national musical instrument called Wolgeum.

The wood material is mainly paulownia wood.

And this instrument string consists of 4 strings.

As for how to play, we probably think of tremolo a lot when we think of the ukulele.

Here's how to play the tremolo.

And I'm giving and playing using the rip-off method.

In fact, it's a bit difficult to put harmony in a folk instrument, but I'm playing with harmony here as well, so I'm playing it in an orchestra or something like that.

[anchor]

Seo-hee Han, now the eoeungeum is not actually our traditional instrument, but in North Korea it is called a national instrument.

So, how are the folk music of North Korea different from our traditional music, and what are the similarities?

[answer]

To put it simply, in the case of North Korea, these folk instruments have been improved a bit, and Hwaseong or something like this has been added to make the color of the music magnificent, and mixed orchestral music is mainly used by mixing it with Western instruments together with orchestra.

In the case of North Korea, when it comes to national musical instruments, many improvements have been made to remove feudal elements.

So, in modern music and things like that, folk music and improved folk instruments are included and we are playing together.

In the case of Korea, the fact that ethnic instruments and Western instruments are preserved separately is probably a little different from that of North Korea.

[anchor]

Then I wonder how it will be different from our traditional music, can I ask for a verse?

[answer]

When it comes to our traditional Korean vocal music, what do we not say about Korean traditional music?

However, in North Korea, this vocal music is called national vocal music, but we have now created a folk song singing method by incorporating that vocal method called the Juche vocalization method unique to North Korea.

It also embodies a lot of folk songs that are mainly used by art troupes. Let me sing one verse of the song I sang.

[anchor]

Yes, good to hear.

So, the kind of music you just listened to. In Korea, isn't interest in our traditional music declining a lot?

But to what extent are North Koreans interested in folk music and musical instruments in North Korea?

[answer]

In fact, in general, since folk music is a specialized field for North Koreans, it is difficult to follow it alone without a professional teaching because it is improved music.

That's why the public doesn't like it, but the country encourages it to continue to develop.

So, I continue to teach the young students this instrument called eoeungeum and learn a little about the national instrument.