Hamgyeong-Style Sword Dance of the Korean Diaspora: A Comparative Observation on Northern Korean Body Culture Traditions

This study introduces archival black-and-white footage documenting a Hamgyeong-style sword dance preserved among members of the Korean diaspora community after the division of the Korean Peninsula. Unlike later court-oriented Korean sword dances characterized by refined ceremonial aesthetics and female-centered performance traditions, the Hamgyeong-style form demonstrates expansive movement patterns, forceful stepping structures, and masculine bodily dynamics. Although the material does not directly display martial sparring systems, comparative observation suggests possible embodied relationships between traditional Korean martial body culture and regional performance traditions. The study further references Haedongjukji by Choe Yeong-nyeon, which associated Subak hand techniques with sword-use traditions. This paper does not claim direct equivalence between sword dance and martial systems, but proposes that the surviving movement structures may preserve broader characteristics associated with northern Korean body culture traditions.