'Lee Han-yeol's Funeral Dance' Lee Ae-ju, Chairman of Gyeonggi Art Center, Passes Away

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Lee Ae-ju, chairman of the Gyeonggi Arts Center and holder of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Seungmu, famous for the 'Jinhon Gut' ritual, passed away on the 10th at the age of 74.

According to the bereaved family, Chairman Lee passed away around 5:20 PM on the day. The family stated that the late chairman had been battling cancer since being diagnosed in late October last year at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital.

Having danced since the age of five, he was a 'dancer' who inherited the authentic lineage of Seungmu, passed down from Han Seong-jun, the pioneer of traditional Korean dance, to his disciple Han Young-sook.

Above all, he is remembered by many for leading the funeral procession and performing the 'Hanpuri Dance' at the funeral of Lee Han-yeol, a Yonsei University student who collapsed after being hit by a tear gas canister during the anti-government protests in July 1987.

From that time, he became a symbol of those who performed 'political dance' or 'dance of the times.' At the 1987 Democracy March departure ceremony, he attracted attention by wearing plain clothes and performing the Jinhon Gut at the request of his juniors from Seoul National University.

Chairman Lee took office at the Gyeonggi Arts Center in September 2019. His term was two years, ending on September 15 of this year. He served as an honorary professor at Seoul National University, artistic director of the Korean Traditional Dance Association, and president of the Han Young-sook Dance Preservation Society. The funeral is being held at Seoul National University Hospital Funeral Hall Room 1 in Hyehwa-dong. Condolences can be offered starting from the 11th.

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