This study reinterprets the music and thought of Isang Yun through the lens of Donghak thought, with particular attention to the structural affinities between Donghak and Mugung-Dong (1986). While previous studies have primarily interpreted Yun’s music and thought through Daoism, broader East Asian philosophy, or Western humanism, this study proposes Donghak as an interpretive framework for understanding the relationship between his cosmological vision, social engagement, and musical practice in a more integrated manner.
The argument unfolds in three stages. First, it examines Yun’s life and historical experiences, suggesting that ideas of life, equality, and resistance embedded in modern Korean society after Donghak were internalized through his personal and historical circumstances. Second, it analyzes his writings on music and culture, revealing a consistent concern with the relationship between music and people, the reconstruction of tradition, and artistic practice as a form of social engagement.
Finally, an analysis of Mugung-Dong demonstrates that its rhythmic motives, wave-like structure, and open ending articulate a process of continuous transformation and renewal. The work’s temporal and sonic organization exhibits significant structural affinities with key themes of Donghak thought, particularly its emphasis on life, solidarity, and transformative change. On this basis, the study argues that Donghak provides a productive interpretive framework for understanding Yun’s conception of life, communal solidarity, and transformative agency in music.