'Singer Jeong Hoon-hee, Who Swept Overseas Song Contests, Marks the Beginning of Hallyu'

6070 National Representative Female Singer...
Revisited with 'Mist' Inserted in the Movie 'Decision to Leave'

It is truly the golden age of Korean popular music. It is loved all over the world. However, it cannot be defined solely by Hallyu and K-pop. The present is the result of efforts and perseverance poured in from the past until now. Just as a delta is formed by the accumulation of long-standing sediment, many artists from long ago have given birth to today’s popular music.

At the center of this brilliant history are pioneers who built their own unique expressive worlds with outstanding creativity. Singer Jeong Hun-hee is one of them. From the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, she adorned the music scene with her breathy mezzo-soprano voice. During a time when domestic popular music rarely ventured beyond Korean living rooms, she also participated in international music festivals. For a while, she was called the “national representative singer.”

Popular music critic Lim Jin-mo introduced her in his book Talking About Singers as "the beginning of Hallyu that dominated overseas music festivals." "She won awards at numerous international music festivals in Japan, Greece, Chile, and more, enhancing national prestige. Although she is an old singer who dominates past memories, she is not unfamiliar to young music fans."

Her unprecedented hit songs are still talked about today. Her debut song “Mist” is a representative example. It was re-highlighted by being featured in director Park Chan-wook’s new film Decision to Leave. In 1970, Jeong Hun-hee passionately performed at the Tokyo Yamaha International Music Festival, which had participants from forty-two countries. She surpassed world-class singers and placed in the “World Best 10.” She said, "I was the first domestic singer to participate in and win an international music festival," adding, "The Swedish group ABBA returned empty-handed, which made me realize the prestige of the award."

Movie 'Angae' Still Cut

The following year, Jeong Hun-hee was the only Asian singer to win an award at the Greece International Music Festival with the song “You.” In 1972, she received the Singer Award at the Yamaha Music Festival again with “We Met Because We Liked Each Other.” At the Chile Music Festival in 1975 and 1978, she won the Best Singer Award with “Deserted Island” and “In the Flower Garden,” respectively.

She even received a wreath from Chilean President Augusto Pinochet. This was after she was hospitalized due to gastrointestinal bleeding and neurasthenia. She recalled, "I was very nervous because I had to sing ‘Deserted Island’ instead of Kim Choo-ja, but I achieved an amazing result," adding, "I was so happy that I downed tequila in one go and fainted." "People who knew nothing about Korea shouted ‘Korea’ after the performance, which excited me a lot (laughs)."

Jeong Hun-hee proudly boasts the most awards at international music festivals but considers it luck. She said, "When Youn Yuh-jung unnie won Best Supporting Actress at the American Academy Awards, she said, ‘How could I compete with a great actress like Glenn Close? I think I am lucky to be here.’ I have thought the same way since long ago." "All the singers participated representing their countries. The competition felt meaningless."

Her thoughts on juniors performing well on the world stage are no different. Referring to BTS, who failed to win the Grammy Award two years in a row, she emphasized, "There is no need to be discouraged." She said, "Whenever I watch juniors like BTS, BLACKPINK, and TWICE performing overseas, I give them a standing ovation," adding, "They are doing very well." "All citizens should know about (the juniors’ achievements). So whenever I meet grandfathers who don’t know well, I urge them to look up their names (laughs)."

It is no easy task to blossom a new culture. Jeong Hun-hee felt this from her debut. During the era when trot was popular, she appeared on TV singing songs by Barbara Streisand, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, and others. The songs she recorded were pop ballads unfamiliar to Korea at the time. Even now, she sings in various styles. Like a master of pansori, she hits the notes perfectly and still boasts a rich vocal capacity. As her opportunities narrowed with age, she even set up her own stage (a cafe) and sings daily. She gains strength to live through musical exchanges.

"Just recently, while singing ‘In the Flower Garden,’ I noticed tears welling up in some people’s eyes. I don’t know the reason. Everyone imagines a different flower garden. I just want to keep opening that door with beautiful songs. On such a beautiful day, on such a beautiful day..."

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