Kim Gwangseok's Songs Revisited at Former Hakchon... 30th Anniversary Memorial Concert

'Meeting Gwangseok Again' Poster. Provided by Kim Gwangseok Memorial Project Association

To mark the 30th anniversary of the passing of the "eternal balladeer" Kim Gwangseok, a commemorative concert and singing competition will be held at the Arko Kkumbat Theater in Daehangno, Seoul, on January 4 and 6 next year, according to the Kim Gwangseok Memorial Project Association on December 10.

The memorial association, established in 1996 by around 40 teams who participated in Kim Gwangseok's 49th-day memorial concert, has been dedicated to discovering new musical talent by hosting the "Singing Kim Gwangseok's Songs" competition since 2012. The association explained, "We have expanded to two programs to share Kim Gwangseok's music with even more people."

The "Meeting Gwangseok Again" concert, scheduled for January 4, will feature musicians affiliated with the memorial association, including Kang Seungwon, Dongmulwon, Park Hakki, Yurisangja, and Ali. Past competition participants Red Chair, Bae Youngkyung, and Kim Youngso will also take the stage, along with Sanha, who won the Grand Prize at this year's Kim Gwangseok Song Award Competition.

The singing competition on January 6 will see seven emerging musical teams, who passed the preliminary round, compete. The judging panel will consist of Kang Seungwon, Jung Wonyoung, Park Kiyoung (of Dongmulwon), Kwon Jinwon, and composer Kim Hyungseok. The winner of the "Kim Gwangseok Award," the competition's top honor, will receive a creative grant of 2 million won, a Martin guitar, and a trophy.

The event venue, Arko Kkumbat Theater, is a space created by the Korea Arts Council by renovating the former Hakchon Blue Small Theater. Kim Gwangseok developed a deep connection with the venue, holding more than 1,000 live concerts there from 1991 to 1995. In 2008, a monument dedicated to Kim Gwangseok's songs was erected in the theater's courtyard. Even after its closure last year, the space remains a symbolic stage where singers and emerging musicians continue to honor Kim Gwangseok's legacy.

Kang Seungwon, head of the Kim Gwangseok Memorial Project Association, stated, "Thirty years is enough time for a person to be born and grow into an adult," adding, "Through this year's concert and competition, we hope to commemorate the significance of this milestone in a meaningful way."