Each episode of Korea.net’s new music talk show series “Korean Rhapsody” serves as a gateway to Korean culture and history, sprinkled with performances of traditional Korean music.

Although played on traditional instruments, the melodies often reflect familiar songs of the present day featured in films, K-dramas and K-pop songs, inviting listeners to bob their heads without even knowing the name of the instrument being played.

The show’s latest episode – “Justin fell in love with Gisaeng?!” – begins with a discussion about gisaeng, the professional female entertainers of the Joseon period. A traditional performance of the beautiful song “Flower Day” soon follows. It was featured in the K-drama, “Hwang Jin-yi” (2006), which revolves around one of Korea’s most popular gisaengs.

The clip then travels to a more modern incident familiar to those even outside of Korea: the attack on Pearl Harbor, which led to the United States entering the Pacific War, Japan’s eventual defeat and finally the liberation of Korea. The dramatic melody “Tennessee” from the 2001 film “Pearl Harbor” is reinterpreted through the hands of a haegeum player.