- P-ISSN 2733-6123
- E-ISSN 2799-3426
This article is a study on the first contact of Western music in Korea before the port opening of 1876, which provided momentum for the inflow of Western music and culture into Korea. This research covers broad topological areas, starting with the question of when Koreans first encountered Western music, developing into exploring the possibility of contacting Western music before the introduction of Christianity to Joseon and the founding of the Joseon Catholic Church. Also treated in subsequent chapters are research topics as follows: the inflow of books on Western music published in China into Korea; the records on Western music in various publications of the late Joseon Dynasty; the introduction of the Yanggeum (Yangqin: zither); and Korea’s encounter with Western music and the beginning of the Catholic Church.