Turkmen melodies fill Seoul after Korea-Central Asia summit

The deep notes of the gargy tuyduk and the plucked strings of the dutar sounded through a Seoul concert hall at the Days of Turkmen Culture event hosted by the Embassy of Turkmenistan at Prugio Art Hall in central Seoul on Thursday, a day after the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit.

“Culture gives relations between countries a human dimension,” Turkmen Ambassador to Korea Begench Durdyyev said, describing cultural exchange as a way to deepen mutual understanding between the two countries.

He said the program was intended to deepen mutual understanding between the two countries through cultural exchange.

“It is an expression of the friendship between Turkmenistan and Korea and of our shared commitment to strengthening mutual understanding between our peoples,” Durdyyev added.

The gargy tuyduk, a long-reed wind instrument, produced a deep sound, while the dutar, a two-stringed instrument used in Turkmen music, provided plucked melodies. They were joined by the doyra frame drum, other percussion instruments, the bowed gyjak and accordion.

Musicians in white sheepskin telpek hats and red traditional coats accompanied singers and dancers.

Turkmen singer Bahar Annayewa performed folk songs, while another performer sang Lee Seung-chul's ballad “Did You Forget?” A Turkmen singer also performed the iconic Korean folk song “Arirang,” accompanied by the clarinet and dutar.

The dance program drew on Turkmenistan's equestrian and craft traditions.

Men in red coats, white telpek hats and black boots performed leaps and kicks while carrying props resembling horsewhips, referencing the country's equestrian tradition and Akhal-Teke horses. Women in turquoise and green, meanwhile, performed turns and hand movements.

In another sequence, performers carried and unfurled a large red carpet, a reference to Turkmenistan's carpet-making tradition.

Kalilov Emilbek, originally from Kyrgyzstan and recently naturalized as a Korean citizen, said the instruments, dances and costumes reminded him of other parts of the region.

“I noticed many similarities with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan,” said Emilbek, who works as a mentor for the Ministry of Justice's Social Integration Program.

He pointed in particular to similarities among traditional instruments and said some of the costumes reminded him of those found in Uzbekistan.

“As someone who has lived in Korea for a long time and is originally from Central Asia, seeing these kinds of cultural traditions here brings out a very positive feeling,” he said.

“I also felt that Korea and Central Asia are becoming much closer.”

Jeong Dong-il, managing attorney at Haebang Law Firm, said the performance introduced him to Turkmen music that Koreans have relatively few opportunities to encounter.

“After listening to Turkmen music today, I felt that there are many types of music that Korean people would really enjoy,” Jeong told The Korea Herald.

“However, because there has not been enough cultural exchange between our two countries, there are probably many Turkmen musical traditions that Koreans have simply not had the opportunity to hear,” he added. The cultural program came as Korea and Central Asia sought to broaden ties beyond government and economic cooperation.

People-to-people and cultural exchanges were among the areas discussed at the inaugural summit, alongside trade, investment and other areas of regional cooperation.

The Korea-Turkmenistan summit two days earlier also produced 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding covering areas including infrastructure, transportation, investment protection, customs, water resources, forestry and climate cooperation.

For Jeong, greater exposure to traditions such as those presented in Seoul could provide one route to broader cultural exchange.

“I hope Korea and Turkmenistan can become closer through music and that music can serve as a bridge between our two peoples,” he said.