Pyongyang, March 22 (KCNA) -- Jotae (transverse flute) is one of the excellent national instruments that have been widely used among the Korean people with a long history.

It was first made and used in the period of Koguryo (B.C. 277-A.D. 668).

It became an important melodic instrument for the Korean national music through a long historical process including the periods of Koryo (918-1392) and the feudal Joson dynasty (1392-1910). It developed into three kinds -- jotae, high-note jotae and middle-note jotae under the guidance of the Workers' Party of Korea.

The improved jotae is made of oak, ebony and rosewood instead of traditional bamboo. The material cut in accordance with the size of instrument is used through the natural drying for a few years or ten years to manufacture ordinary instrument and classic instrument respectively. After the material is ready, it is finished through such processes as carving inner pole and surface of pipe body, drilling sound pole, assembling of coupling pipe and cover of sound pole, plating, processing mouthpiece, painting, grinding and polishing.

Jotae is used for mixed orchestra of Korean style, solo, ensemble and musical accompaniment as an important instrument representing the elegant and plaintive national timbre.

The method of manufacturing jotae was registered as a national intangible cultural heritage in May 2017. -0-