Tongyeong, a southeastern port city long known as the hometown of numerous artists, may soon rise to international prominence following its designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Music on Friday night.

Tongyeong is the first city in Korea, second in Asia after Japan’s Hamamatsu and 10th worldwide to join the Music category of the international organization’s Creative Cities Network.

Tongyeong has rich musical offerings, including its traditional mask dance Ogwangdae and the annual Tongyeong International Music Festival, a classical music festival that celebrates composer Yun I-sang, a native of the city, according to the Korean National Commission for UNESCO.

In recent years, the city has made efforts for international musical collaboration and promotion, said Florian Riem, CEO of the Tongyeong International Music Foundation who played a large role in drafting the UNESCO application. “We have hosted a number of joint projects with cities like Kanazawa, Japan and Adelaide, Australia,” which was also designated for the music category on Friday, he said.

Tongyeong, a small fishing town with a population of roughly 140,000, also boasts diverse music education programs, including inviting schoolchildren to the Tongyeong Concert Hall when prominent foreign orchestras are in town, and the Tongyeong Festival Orchestra, a multinational ensemble composed of musicians from Korea, China and Japan.

“The idea was to support efforts to create a better feeling in (the Asian) region,” said Reim. “What better way to do that than through music, the universal language? The orchestra played in all three countries this year, and we hope to repeat that in the future.”

No introduction of Tongyeong would be complete without discussing its native son, the late composer Yun I-sang, who, though a politically controversial figure in Korea due to his alleged pro-North Korea activities, is celebrated internationally for introducing elements of Asian music to Western audiences. 

“We mentioned Yun in the application’s opening because, despite the controversy, he was one of the first South Korean musicians to achieve worldwide recognition, and also among the first people who tried to breach borders through music,” said Riem.

“That is what we want to do here in Tongyeong,” he added. “There is a broad love for music among locals. We have lots of new orchestras and choirs. The mood here is very enthusiastic and people are motivated to work with artists from all over the world.”

The city expects to see a rise in international prominence and tourism following the UNESCO designation, officials stated.

“Tongyeong is already a tourist destination, with its beautiful landscape and great seafood,” Riem said. “Now, it may also become a cultural center in terms of music.”

With its designation, Korea now has six cities -- including Seoul (Design), Icheon (Crafts and Folk Art), Jeonju (Gastronomy), Gwangju (Media Arts) and Busan (Film) -- in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Launched in 2004, the network aims to “foster international cooperation with and between cities committed to investing in creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy,” according to UNESCO. It encompasses seven fields -- Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music. With 47 new members, including Iraq’s Baghdad (Literature) and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hasa (Crafts and Folk Art), announced Friday, the network currently comprises 116 cities.

By Rumy Doo (bigbird@heraldcorp.com)