New Holder of National Intangible Cultural Heritage "Gayageum Byeongchang" to Emerge After 24 Years

Cultural Heritage Administration Announces Plan to Designate Jeong Oksun as Official Holder

For the first time in 24 years, a new holder of the national intangible cultural heritage title is expected to emerge in the field of Gayageum Byeongchang, which involves singing while playing the Gayageum. On May 9, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced its plan to designate Jeong Oksun (stage name Jeong Yejin) as the official holder of the national intangible cultural heritage "Gayageum Sanjo and Byeongchang." The final decision will be made after gathering opinions from various sectors for a month and deliberation by the Intangible Heritage Committee.

Jeong is recognized as a master who has dedicated herself to preserving and transmitting the tradition. She began studying Gayageum under Park Gwihee (1921?1993) in 1969, became a certified trainee in 1986, and was appointed as a transmission instructor in 2001. The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "Jeong is highly regarded for her exceptional understanding and interpretation of Gayageum Byeongchang repertoire, as well as her significant contributions to fostering the transmission environment and nurturing future generations through systematic education." The agency added, "We hope this announcement of a new heritage holder will invigorate the field of transmission going forward."

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Cultural Heritage Administration also announced its plan to designate An Seunggyu, a transmission instructor for Yechon Tongmyeong Nongyo, as an honorary holder. Yechon Tongmyeong Nongyo is a type of farmers' song sung by the residents of Tongmyeong-ri, Yechon-eup, Yechon-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, to ease the hardship of rice planting each year. It was designated as a national intangible cultural heritage in 1985. An was recognized for his dedication to education and transmission activities.