The congratulatory party that celebrated the 50th anniversary of the birth of King Sunjong took place at Injeongjeon Hall in Changdeokgung Palace on March 25, 1923, during the period of Japanese Occupation. As the royal family would not hold any big events after the demise of King Sunjong in 1926, it was the last event by which one can track changes in the parties of the Joseon Dynasty. This was different from the usual parties of Joseon Dynasty. The changes involved the venue, as it was not held at Jeongjeon (the courtyard for the main building) but instead took place inside Donghaenggak and Injeongjeon placed in the corner, and it also involved the serving luncheon and dinner, with participants seated at two rows of Western-style tables. Such changes distinguished the party from the previous Jinyeon (palatial party) of the Joseon Dynasty. Despite such changes in the royal ceremonies, in contrast to the Korean Empire, specific norms were not adopted in the period of Japanese Occupation. The modernizing changes to the ceremonies between the Korean Empire and the period of Japanese Occupation show how the Joseon tradition developed into the modern tradition. Presumably, there were changes to the music and dance used at the party, but details on such alterations cannot be found. At the event, eleven instrumental pieces－including Taepyeongchunjigok－and seven pieces of Mudong jeongjae (“court dance music with a boy dancer”) were performed. Instrumental music and Mudong jeongjae were presented at both luncheon and dinner. When Mudong jeongjae was performed at the party, it drew attention, as this represented a restoration of a presentation that had been removed from the royal protocol 20 or so years before. Moreover, the students of Yiwangjik aakbu (“Office of the Yi Dynasty’s Ceremonial Music”) were trained to perform for the event, which was significant in that has carried the tradition of Mudong jeongjae up to the present times. Having considered the performance of Mudong jeongjae following the 50th anniversary of King Sunjong’s birth, Yiwangjik aakbu performed in Kyoto. Moreover, having been performed at the Kyoto presentation, Jangsaengboyeonjimu was learned by a Japanese dancer. Based on this, Miyako Odori was created in Japan. The work was performed at the exposition that not only marked the participation in World Expo but also celebrated the marriage of Hirohito and the 15th anniversary of the Korea－Japan annexation. Aalthough Mudong jeongjae was restored for the 50th anniversary of King Sunjong’s birth, it was one of the projects that was presumably planned and prepared for such purposes. Despite its changes, the ceremonies during the period of Japanese Occupation, including the party that celebrated the 50th anniversary of King Sunjong’s birth, are highly significant in that they were crucial in carrying traditional Korean music up to the present times. Nevertheless, musicians’ strenuous efforts to carry the traditional music through the period of Japanese Occupation should not be regarded as just one of the musical characteristics of the period or reenacted in an optimistic manner. When considering the court ceremonies during the period of Japanese Occupation, the context of what happened to Yiwangjik aakbu should first understand; this will allow us to determine which parts of the ceremonies are to be carried on and which parts are to be objectively described.

This study investigates the background, contents, and choreographic style of the Mudong (舞童) Jungjae (呈才) performed at the 50th birthday banquet of King Soonjong, the last emperor of the Korean Empire. Gainjeonmokdan (佳人剪牧丹), Jangsaengboyeonjimu (長生寶宴之舞), Yeonbaekbokjjimu (演百福之舞), Mugo (舞鼓), Pogurak (抛毬樂), Bosangmu (寶相舞), Suyeonjang (壽延長), Chunaengjeon (春鶯囀), and Cheoyongmu (處容舞) were performed at the banquet held on March 25, 1923, on King Soonjong’s birthday. Among them, Cheoyongmu was excluded from this study, as it was separately studied and performed by Aaksu (雅樂手) and five physically fit Aakseng (雅樂生) students from the first-year class of the Aakdae training school. Thus, this study examines eight Jungjae dances that were performed by Aakseng students who were selected as Mudong. The Korean Empire was colonized by Japan on August 29, 1910; following this, King Soonjong’s daily life was restricted through the control of Iwangjik (李王職), or the Office of the Yi Dynasty. This study examines Jungjae dances that were studied and performed by 11 Aakseng (雅樂生) Mudong; these were hastily put together for the 50th birthday of King Soonjong. Aakseng boys aged 13~19 years, who joined the Aakdae (雅樂隊) training school as the first-year and second-year class in the early winter of 1922. were abruptly enlisted to learn Jungjae dances. After five months, they performed for the king. This launched the dancing careers as Mudong for Aakseng students at the Aakdae training school within Iwangjik. The dances performed at the 50th birthday banquet of King Soonjong were mostly createdin 1828 and 1829. The story of these Jungjae dances included ① the love between husband and wife and ② a wish for the longevity and prosperity of the country. In addition, they comprised ③ entertaining elements that combined a wish for longevity with amusement, completing the broad variety of the dance. By the 29th year of King Gojong’s reign or the Imjin year of 1892, and following their performance at the 41st birthday banquet of King Gojong, the number of dancers for the Mudong Jungjae performance was finalized. The choreographic styles of the eight dances are discussed in greater detail below. The Mudong Jungjae of the Joseon Dynasty is said to have been passed down with great difficulty under political and cultural oppression during the Japanese colonial era. In this study, we propose to lay the groundwork for establishing a proper historical perspective on the dissemination of traditional dances through consideration of their background.