A unique five-member musical group comprised of expatriate musicians from around the world has come together to learn and reinterpret Korea's traditional gugak music, creating innovative fusion performances that showcase Korean cultural heritage through international musical perspectives. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea International Broadcasting Foundation announced on September 15 that they will release a comprehensive documentary next month chronicling Sound Trek's journey of studying and promoting gugak music.

Sound Trek brings together talented musicians from five different countries: Germany, Russia, Mexico, Mongolia, and Burkina Faso. The diverse ensemble features an impressive array of both traditional Korean and international instruments, including wind instruments such as the flute and daegeum (a large traditional Korean bamboo flute), keyboards including accordion, traditional vocals, string instruments like the morin khuur (a traditional Mongolian instrument), and various percussion instruments including the South African djembe drum and the janggu, Korea's traditional hourglass-shaped drum.

The group members were carefully selected through a competitive audition process held in April, followed by intensive training sessions with experienced gugak experts and masters. During their rigorous preparation period, the musicians learned to seamlessly blend the distinctive sounds of traditional instruments from their respective home countries with authentic Korean gugak elements, creating a truly unique cross-cultural musical experience.

The culmination of their training was showcased on August 27, when Sound Trek delivered captivating performances of "Sarangga" (Love Song) and "Arirang Medley" at a special concert held in Navoiy, Uzbekistan. These performances demonstrated their successful fusion of international musical traditions with Korean gugak, creating fresh interpretations that honor both Korean heritage and their own cultural backgrounds.

The documentary chronicling Sound Trek's remarkable journey will be presented in five comprehensive episodes and will be broadcast worldwide on Arirang TV, with preview segments scheduled for pre-release on the network's official YouTube channel. This global distribution will help introduce international audiences to both traditional Korean music and the innovative ways it can be reimagined through cultural collaboration.

Looking ahead, Sound Trek has been invited to perform for the first time on Korean soil at the prestigious Yeongdong World Traditional Music and Arts Expo on October 18. This expo, running from September 12 through October 11 in Yeongdong-eup, Yeongdong County in Chungcheongbuk-do Province, features diverse gugak content from Korea and international artists, making it the perfect venue for Sound Trek's Korean debut performance.