Japga means song, which is a traditional song of upper-class culture, song that is not refined compared to sijo, and song of lower-class culture that is miscellaneous or vulgar. This is a term that is different from that of a genre that played a part in Korean pop songs along with Gyeonggi-do, and refers to a japga (subga) created by professional singers such as clowns and Sadangpae in the late Joseon Dynasty.

Originally, Japga was formed and flourished at the end of the Joseon Dynasty, but was relegated to Western-style songs around 1830. Therefore, Japga is a genre of literature that marks the end of the Joseon Dynasty, and it is considered a transitional genre that connects the present and the past.

남도잡가는 <보렴>, <화초사거리>, <육자배기>, <자진육자배기>, <흥타령>, <개구리타령>, <새타령>, <성주풀이> 등을 지칭한다.