Sancheong-gun, '10th Park Heonbong Gugak Award' Won by Master Kim Youngjae

Geomungo Sanjo Master Holder ... Training Disciples at Korea National University of Arts and Others

Master Kim Young-jae of Geomungo Sanjo from Sancheong-gun.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam announced on the 11th that the recipient of the ‘10th Park Heon-bong Gugak Award’ has been selected as Master Kim Young-jae (73), the holder of the National Intangible Cultural Property No. 16 Geomungo Sanjo performance skill.

Master Kim Young-jae is an alumnus of the National Traditional Arts Middle and High School (formerly Gugak Arts School) founded by Gisan Park Heon-bong and was designated as the holder of the National Intangible Cultural Property No. 16 Geomungo Sanjo performance skill in 2013.

Following the footsteps of Master Gisan, he served as a Geomungo instructor and head of the arts department at the National Traditional Arts School, spreading the importance of gugak education as well as his rich artistic experience and knowledge to students.

Afterwards, he served as a professor in the Department of Gugak at Chonnam National University College of Arts and as a professor at the School of Traditional Arts at Korea National University of Arts, dedicating himself to nurturing talents who will lead the traditional music world.

Since being designated as the holder of the National Intangible Cultural Property No. 16 Geomungo Sanjo performance skill in 2013, he has formed the ‘Shingwedong-ryu Geomungo Sanjo Preservation Society,’ contributing to its succession and development while continuing steady activities.

Master Kim Young-jae has been recognized for his remarkable contributions to the development of gugak and the nurturing of future generations, receiving many awards including the KBS Gugak Grand Prize, the Republic of Korea Culture and Arts Award, the Order of Service Merit (Hwangjo Geunjeong Medal), the Gwangju City Culture and Arts Award, and the Im Bang-ul National Interest Award.

In particular, in 2015, he received the ‘Bang Il-young Gugak Award,’ the highest authority gugak award in Korea given to masters and singers who have contributed to the transmission and dissemination of gugak, also known as the ‘Nobel Prize of the Gugak world.’

Choi Jong-sil, chairman of the Gisan Gugak Festival Committee, said, “We have selected Master Kim Young-jae, who has devoted himself to the development of gugak in accordance with the will of our great gugak teacher Gisan Park Heon-bong, as this year’s recipient of the ‘Park Heon-bong Gugak Award.’ We will continue to actively discover and express gratitude to artists who strive for the development and transmission of gugak.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.