Gyeolseong Nongyo: when Hongseong's farmwork became song

A soundtrack for the rice fields

In Gyeolseong-myeon, Hongseong County, people once sang together while planting rice and weeding fields. These songs, known as *Gyeolseong Nongyo* (결성농요), coordinated work and preserved the voices of a farming community.

A song for each task

Different songs accompanied different stages of farm work. *Gyeop-sangsa* was associated with transplanting rice seedlings, *geonjengi* with weeding, and *jangwonjil-sori* with returning home after the day's work. A lead singer and the responding group brought a communal rhythm to demanding tasks. The Academy of Korean Studies traces the tradition to the Seongnam-ri and Geumgok-ri areas of Gyeolseong and records its designation as a Chungcheongnam-do intangible heritage in 1996.

See the history behind the music

The Gyeolseong Farming Songs and Agriculture Museum (결성농요농사박물관) gives visitors a place to connect the songs with rural life. Chungnam Tourism describes farming artifacts as well as prehistoric objects, Baekje pottery and ceramics from the Goryeo and Joseon periods. After exploring the tools, an official video published by the Hongseong County Office offers a glimpse of the singing tradition.

Practical visiting notes

The museum is listed at 91 Guseongnam-ro, Gyeolseong-myeon, Hongseong-gun, Chungcheongnam-do. Chungnam Tourism publishes hours of 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., closure on Mondays and Tuesdays, free admission and the telephone number 041-642-1993. These are published details, not a live confirmation of opening on a given day in November 2026. Check temporary closures and exhibitions before traveling. Do not assume live singing or workshops are offered daily.