Gayageum, also known as Korean zheng, is a plucked stringed musical instrument of the Korean nation. It is called 가야금 in Korean. Popular in the Korean Peninsula and Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province, China.

According to "Records of the History of the Three Kingdoms": "King Gaya made a twelve-stringed qin. It resembles the rhythm of the December moon. It was ordered to make its music." ... Gayageum, although slightly different from the zheng system, is probably similar."

After Gayageum arrived in Silla, it developed and became the great music of Silla, laying a solid position for the court music in the future. Around the 8th century (or earlier), Gayageum was introduced to Japan from the Silla Kingdom, and there are still three Gayageum (i.e. shinra) in the collection of Shoso-in in Nara, Japan. Because Gayageum was introduced to Japan from Silla and was used in Shilla music at the same time, Japan called Gayageum as Silla.

By the end of the 19th century, Gayageum music had reached its peak, which was a turning point in the art of Gayageum. The music gradually changed from the slow court music to the light and lively sang tune. The Gayagum that was originally circulated was transformed into the sang-tuned Gayagum because it was not suitable for playing the fast tone of the sang tune, and it has been passed down to this day.

Since the 1950s, the music of Gayagum in the Yanbye region has undergone a new development, from folk traditions to professional training.