Suncheon Nagan Eupseong Successfully Concludes National Gugak Competition

105 Participants from Across the Nation in Gugak Competition

Jellanam-do Suncheon Nagan Eupseong announced that the 10th Suncheon Nagan Eupseong National Gugak Competition was successfully concluded over two days from April 27 (preliminary round) to April 28 (final round).

This Gugak competition saw participation from 105 contestants nationwide. The awards were as follows: the National Assembly Speaker Award for the Master Division went to Park Hyeongjin (Gwangju City Changgeuk Troupe); the Jeollanam-do Governor Award for the Rookie Division was awarded to Lee Woljae (Namwon City, Jeonbuk); the Minister of Education Award for the High School Division went to Kim Songa (3rd year, Korea Traditional Culture High School); the Jeollanam-do Superintendent of Education Award for the Elementary and Middle School Division was given to Park Dakyung (3rd year, Busan Jungang Middle School); and the Suncheon Mayor Award for the Group Division was awarded to the Lee Yunok Children's Gugak Troupe (Joo Yeeun and 3 others).

[Photo by Suncheon-si]

The judging panel was led by Chair Judge Yoo Youngdae (Emeritus Professor at Korea University / former President of Gugak Broadcasting) along with six other judges.

The judges were composed of authoritative experts in the Gugak field, including holders of intangible cultural assets and recipients of the Presidential Award at national competitions, ensuring fair evaluation.

To secure objectivity in judging, an automatic scoring system was used, and after the preliminary and final rounds, each contestant’s scores were disclosed on-site, making it a competition where both participants and audience could share mutual understanding.

Suncheon Nagan Eupseong is the birthplace and activity site of Song Mangap, a master of Dongpyeonje, and Oh Taeseok, the founder of Gayageum Byeongchang. The ‘Suncheon Nagan Eupseong Gugak Competition’ was established in 2009 to honor their spirits and to discover traditional Gugak artists, contributing to the revitalization of Gugak culture.

Kim Yangnam, Director of the Nagan Eupseong Pansori Preservation Society, which organized the competition, said, “This Gugak competition was a great opportunity for many Gugak artists who will lead the future of Korean traditional music to gather at Suncheon Nagan Eupseong and showcase their talents,” adding, “We will continue to strive to discover new Gugak talents through the Suncheon Nagan Eupseong National Gugak Competition.”

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