Pansori PDF
Pansori PDF
Pansori PDF
August 2016
Pansori
Bomi Kang
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Part of the Fine Arts Commons, Music Commons, and the Theatre and Performance Studies
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Repository Citation
Kang, Bomi, "Pansori" (2016). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 2789.
http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/9302946
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PANSORI
By
Bomi Kang
Department of Theatre
College of Fine Arts
The Graduate College
Bomi Kang
entitled
Pansori
ii
Abstract
intangible cultural artifact and a symbol of the national culture of the Korean people. The
fundamental objective of Korea government’s policy was to promote and to preserve Pansori.
achievement of this objective, especially for the younger generation. The purpose of this study is
to explore Pansori, to understand its history, its importance, the reasons underlying its declining
popularity, and the reasons behind the need for preserving and promoting its use in modern
Korean society. The methodology of this study involved conducting historical research, the
researcher’s own experience (taking Gugak classes) and interviews with Pansori singers and
scholars. The study finds Pansori was important to the Korean traditional culture because it
created an understanding and expression of emotions, taught moral values, promoted community
cohesion, and entertained the community. However, Pansori is experiencing declining popularity
performing arts and reduced periods to learn Pansori. Still, Pansori is important to preserve
because of social reasons (community cohesion and improved international relations with
neighbors), economic reasons (a source of employment and improved tourism performance), and
cultural reasons (a means of transmitting culture and cultural values across generations). This
study recommends reviewing the Korean Cultural Preservation Law of 1962 to balance between
preservation and modification of Pansori. The study suggests further study should focus on
examining empirical support of the importance of Pansori to inspire Koreans to assist in the
iii
Table of Contents
iv
3.2.3 Japanese Colonial Occupation (1910-1945) ......................................................... 49
3.2.4 Globalization ......................................................................................................... 55
3.3 Shorter Period of Learning Pansori................................................................................ 58
3.4 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................................... 59
Chapter 4: Why Pansori is Important to Preserve ......................................................................... 60
4.1 Importance to Koreans ................................................................................................... 61
4.1.1 Economics ............................................................................................................. 61
4.1.2 National Unity....................................................................................................... 63
4.1.3 Cultural Inheritance .............................................................................................. 64
4.2 Importance to Tourism/Foreign Relations ..................................................................... 66
4.2.1 Development ......................................................................................................... 66
4.2.2 Foreign Relations .................................................................................................. 69
4.3 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................................... 70
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations ............................................................................. 71
5.1 Overview of the Study ................................................................................................... 71
5.2 Summary of Findings..................................................................................................... 71
5.3 Limitations of the Study................................................................................................. 73
5.4 Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 74
Works Cited .................................................................................................................................. 76
Curriculum Vitae .......................................................................................................................... 81
v
List of Tables
vi
Pansori
Chapter 1: Introduction
The body of literature on Korean culture suggests the western-style of performing arts is
influencing the general decline in both the performance and public acceptance of Pansori. It is
undermining the Korean Government efforts to preserve Pansori through legislation and
education especially to the younger generation. The purpose of this study is to explore Pansori as
the quintessential form of Korean traditional performing arts. The specific objectives are to
define Pansori, its history, its importance to the Korean culture, the underlying reasons for its
declining popularity, and the importance of its preservation to modern day Korea. The
significance of this study is creating an awareness of the value of Pansori and a deep insight into
the vital role Pansori played in integrating the present Korean communities. Pansori is also a
significant forum for teaching moral lessons and entertaining Korean communities to give them
This thesis is divided into five chapters. The introductory chapter defines and discusses
the history, the development, and the master singers of Pansori. The chapter also reviews
literature on Pansori, discusses the importance of this study and briefly comments on the
research methodology. The second chapter discusses the importance of Pansori to Korean
culture and communities between the 18th and early 19th centuries. The third chapter discusses
the reasons behind the recent declining popularity of Pansori. The fourth chapter discusses the
social, economic and cultural importance of preserving Pansori to modern day Korea. The last
chapter presents a brief overview of the study, its purpose, aims, research approach and findings.
The chapter ends with a discussion on limitations to the study and produces a set of
1
recommendations aimed to improve the effectiveness of the current promotional and
From an etymological perspective, the word Pansori is a blend of two words, pan and
sori. Pan has several meanings. Pan means a gathering place, performance spaces or the venue
of performance. Specifically, in the traditional Korean setting, pan referred to the traditional
houses of Korean aristocrats or, traditionally, straw mats laid out on market places. Pan can also
refer to performers demonstrating their expertise in front of a large audience or the process of
entertaining audiences (National Gugak Centre 13). Sori means vocal sound or voice, or a vocal
performance that alternates between sung and spoken words (or narrations). Drawing from the
multiple etymological meanings, Pansori can be defined as a traditional form of performing arts
where performers sing in front of an audience for enjoyment and moral teachings (National
gwangdae) and a drummer (gosu). The singer must be dressed in traditional Korean attire
(hanbok), uses a traditional prop – a handkerchief or a fan – in one hand, and tells a themed story
in the form of music and narration. The performance revolves around the singer, whose vocal
performance consists of sung words (chang), spoken words or narration (aniri), and body
language (neorumsae) or mimetic gestures (ballim). The drummer accompanies the vocal
performance with rhythmic drumbeats and shouts of words of encouragement aimed at adding
passion to the performance. The song has fixed rhythmic cycles (changdan) and a range of
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melodies (cho). The singer changes the rhythmic cycles and melodies according to the various
In the traditional Pansori setting, the singer usually articulates the themed story with
dramatic facial and body expressions, and melodic or rhythmic improvisations aimed to make the
performance livelier. A typical Pansori performance often times takes three to eight hours,
which makes the performance tiring for the singer and increases the risk of suffering from vocal
fatigue. The intermittent use of sung and spoken words aims to reduce the fatigue for the singer.
The singer represents all the characters in the themed story through variations in tone and pitch.
The drummer enhances the excitement of the performance with rhythmic sounds and words. The
audience also participates with cries of encouragement (chuimsae) to applaud and motivate the
singer (Thomaidis 2). Although this is the basic structure of Pansori performance, today the
structure has a wide variation mostly depending on the staging strategies (Kuh Ja-Kyoung 35).
The definition of Pansori suggests a striking resemblance to Western opera. The two
forms of performing arts share two common aspects. They both involve performing in front of an
audience, and performance integrates music, drumbeats and dance. Besides these two common
aspects, the two performing arts have several features that clearly distinguish one from the other.
Pansori has roots in the Asia Pacific and performance centers on one singer performing several
roles and narrate the story. However, the Opera has roots in Europe and America, and
performance centers of many artists performing specific roles (Creutzenberg 1). Table 1
summarizes the main differences between a Pansori performance and a Western opera
performance.
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Table 1: Differences between Pansori and Opera
4
1.1.1 Changes in Pansori Performance
During the late 19th to early 20th centuries, Pansori began to be integrated with concepts
of western-style opera. During this time, Korea was colonized by Japan. Under Japanese
colonization, Korea underwent a social and cultural transformation through the lifting of western
cultural bans. Japan forced Korea to open their borders to foreign countries to receive various
entertainment like film and western-style of theatre and opera. Korea was exposed to different
styles of entertainment than they had ever experienced before. The new entertainment was a
novelty to the audiences and their interest moved away from traditional Korean arts to western-
style entertainment. The audiences were seeking new forms of entertainment and they did not
have an awareness of the value of Pansori. This changed the performance style and singing
method of Pansori.
The most direct influence on Pansori performances was the arrival of modern western
theater, which was introduced in the process of modernization in the early 20th century. The
arrival of western theater changed existing forms of Pansori performances. Pansori performers,
who used to perform in front of aristocrats in the 19th century, changed their singing methods to
conform to new audience expectations. Pansori performances became shortened like western-
style theatre. Western-style theatre also encouraged Pansori performers to learn only popular
parts. This eventually motivated the development of a ‘mixed style’ Pansori performance in the
mid-20th century. Due to the conventions of western theatre, the audience also was transformed
A typical Pansori performance has several common components. These are body,
deoneum, ssookdeameori, nundaemok, aniri, ballim and neorumsae, chuimsae, and naedeureum.
5
First, body describes the overall structure of a typical Pansori performance. It refers to
the choice of tools that best describes the theme of the song and the mood of the performance.
The body also indicates the performance style of Pansori and provides the basis for criticism and
comment about the quality of Pansori. The body could also mean a part of a song transmitted
from a Pansori teacher to a student. In this case, body could also be referred to as deoneum.
by a junior singer. The modifications usually reflect local trends – folk songs or shamanic ritual
music. If this new version of the Pansori becomes widespread or popular among the audience,
and is transmitted from one singer to another, it becomes a deoneum. For instance,
typical translation of the term is, “give me eyes” or “locate the eyes” symbolizing the singer
communicating with the drummer. The singer is telling the drummer to change or alter the beat
of a knot, or the tension and relaxation found in the rhythm used in Korean folk music (Hyung
33). However, in the present form of Pansori, the meaning of Nundaemok has changed to refer to
Aniri is a component of Pansori song that means alternating sung and spoken words. It is
when a singer sings a part of a passage with tune and melody and another part without tune and
melody in the form of a narration. It provides the singer the opportunity to take a rest before the
Ballim and Neorumsae are components of Pansori performance referring to use of body
movement and gesture. The use of ballim is limited to dance whereas neorumsae are the gestures
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that are in accordance with the content of the story. These motions include movements of the
entire body.
blend of two words, chuim, meaning to attach words and rhythm together, and sae, meaning a
method or a way. Together, they mean a way to attach words and rhythmic patterns. In singing,
chuimsae refers to the many ways a singer can combine words and rhythm according to the
encouragement like “sounds good”, or “la-di-da”, “ulssigoo”, or “good job”. The aim of
chuimsae is to involve the audience and to give enjoyment to the singer. The role of chuimsae is
to enhance the dynamics of the sound, to fill a pause, and to bring out sound (Hyung 40).
Lastly, Naedeureum is the beginning of a passage in Pansori, the Sanjo Nongak melody.
When a singer begins a Pansori performance, the singer suggests a melody or rhythm and
develops the story based on the rhythm, breaking and beginning a new story during pauses.
Pansori has twelve specialization fields (madangs) founded in the 18th century during the
era when Pansori witnessed significant growth. The twelve specialization fields (repertoires) are
the Song of Chunhyangga, the Song of Simcheongga, the Song of Heungboga, the Song of
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Only the first five fields represent the lives of ordinary Koreans and the realities of the
Korean communities during the 18th century. These forms have been transmitted orally to date
(Kim 5). One of the reason for the loss of seven of the original specialization fields is the
Confucian upper class, who were the favorite audience of Pansori towards the end of the 18th
century and in the 19th century. They deemed the seven fields as vulgar, or morally inappropriate,
and prevented their transmission (Lee 74). The five fields that were transmitted, and remain to
The five specialized fields narrate stories about loyalty to the king, filial piety, fidelity of
a wife to her husband, brotherhood, and sincerity to friends (Lee 74-75). Each of the songs tells a
themed story as briefly outlined in the next paragraphs. In addition, Pansori performance
connects these five specialized field in an optimistic tales, epitomized in a positively depicted
Chunhyangga teaches about love and its tribulations through a story of Chunhyang, a
young girl from a low-social economic background married to the son of a governor. The
promotion and transfer of the governor separates them. The new governor tries to compel
Chunhyang to become his lover but she declines in spite of death threats. The governor then
plans for her execution on his birthday but the husband, a newly appointed governor inspector,
returns to her rescue. The song teaches the importance of love and a woman’s chastity in uniting
Simcheongga teaches about filial love, piety and perseverance through a story of
Simcheong and her blind father. The daughter hears about a monk’s promise to her dad to donate
a sack of rice to regain his sight. The daughter offers herself for sale to Chinese sailors as a
sacrifice to the King of the Sea to afford the sack of rice. The King of the Sea has pity and sends
8
her back to the surface where the King find her, falls in love, and proposes to her. Hoping to re-
unite with her father, she organizes a party for blind people. Her blind father struggles and
reaches the King’s palace. Her deep filial love and piety makes her father regain sight. The song
teaches the importance of filial love and piety as important moral characteristics for the well-
Heungboga teaches about the perils of human greed through a story of Heungbo, a poor
but good-natured man and his rich but greedy and wicked brother. Heungbo and his family live
in abject poverty because his rich brother ousted them from their home. A swallow with a broken
leg flies into Heungbo’s home. He nurses the swallow back to health. In return, the swallow
gives Heungbo a gourd seed, which he sows and reaps gourds filled with precious jewels. Filled
with jealousy, his wicked brother tries in futility to find a swallow with a broken leg. He breaks
the leg of a swallow and nurses to back to health. He sows the gourd seeds given by the swallow
but reaps gourds filled with warriors and goblins. The wicked brother regrets his wrongdoing and
promises to be a pleasant person. From the song, people learn about the rewards of being
Sugungga teaches about the conflict between the rule and the ruled. The song also
teaches a moral lesson in handling conflicts, sorrows and unexpected unfortunate events in a
humorous manner. The song uses personified animals, a rabbit and turtle. The Sea Emperor
becomes sick. He hears the liver of a rabbit is the perfect antidote. The Emperor selects a turtle
called Byeoljubu (the title of a government official) to go to the land to look for a rabbit. The
turtle finds and comes with a rabbit to the Sea Palace. The rabbit realizes his predicament and
lies to the Emperor that he takes his liver out twice in a month and stores it in a safe place on the
land. He needs to return to the land to fetch the liver for the Emperor. The Emperor allows the
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rabbit to return to the land. Elated by his escape, the rabbit acts rashly and a trap placed by
humans catches him. He saves his life again by asking flies to pee on him. Watching the flies, the
men let the rabbit free but an eagle catches him. The rabbit tricks the eagle and escapes into a
cave. Coming out of the cave, the rabbit meets the Sea Emperor, now fully recovered, and the
turtle. The Emperor reconciles with the rabbit and brings the rabbit to the Sea. This song teaches
Jeokbyeokga, also known as Hwaryongdo, teaches about loyalty to friends. The story is
about three men, Yubi, Gwanu and Jangbi. The three vow to unite their strength in order to
achieve their goals. Yubi visits a man called Jegalgongmyeong three times and persuades him to
be his advisor. Jegalgongmyeong engages his enemy, Jojo in a fierce battle. Jegalgongmyeong
uses the southeast winds to defeat Jojo’s strong troops. Jegalgongmyeong, Yubi, Gwanu and
Jangbi chase after Jojo. Gwanu catches Jojo but decides to release him. This story draws from
the Chinese novel Sanguozhi yenyi (The Tale of the Three Kingdoms). The story revolves around
the legendary Battle of the Red Cliffs, a decisive battle fought at the end of the Han Dynasty in
208-9 AD. It was a battle between the Han Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty, which led to a tripartite
Gajjasinseon-taryeong taught moral lessons in a comedy or farce. All the twelve specialist fields
reflected the social phenomenon of the Korean people during the latter part of the Joseon
Dynasty between 1392 and 1910 (Hyung 4). The seven specialized fields that were not
transmitted narrated themes of gluttony, heroism and other key issues the Korean society was
facing at during the 19th century. According to Confucian teachings, it was inappropriate to make
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fun of the upper classes. The Confucian ruling class therefore regarded the seven fields as
morally inappropriate and prevented their transmission, leading to their extinction in the 19th
Pansori performance in the 18th century to early 20th century was an art that required the
active participation of the solo-singer, the drummer and the audience. The audience participation
was essential. They participated by shouting chuimsae (words of encouragement) to the solo-
singer and the drummer. Chuimsae was important in a Pansori performance to encourage and to
motivate the solo singer and the drummer. In fact, the audience was an integral part of a Pansori
performance. Pansori performances of today have little audience participation. The audience
have little understanding of the responses of the original audiences and difficulties in choosing
the right words or moment to applaud. However, the relationship between Pansori performers
and the audience has not changed significantly. Pansori singers now lead the audience’s
response during performance. The aim is to encourage their response and to remind them of their
active role in a Pansori performance. In the period between 18th and 19th centuries, Pansori
audiences consisted of three categories: occasional members, serious audiences and students of
Occasional audience members were the aristocrats. They were well-socialized members
in the upper socio-economic class in Korean traditional society. They were very familiar with
artistic conventions and attended Pansori performances for entertainment and education (to learn
moral lessons). Although few in numbers, the upper class had the power to influence the
development of Pansori to satisfy their aesthetic and entertainment needs during the era of
affluence in the 19th century. This is also evident in them preventing the transmission of seven
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out of the twelve specialized fields of Pansori because they mocked the upper class (National
The serious audiences are professionals in artistic performance. They provide solid
support to the performance because of their professional suggestions and constructive criticism.
The serious audiences also include experts in Pansori. These experts provide education, ideas
and direction, all aimed to develop and perfect the singers’ performance.
The students of arts audiences are students of Pansori who desire one day to be master
singers. They come to learn from observation and participation as audience members. Learning
Pansori does not only include vocal and physical practice. Students also learn Pansori by
observing response from the audience, and advice of current master singers (National Gugak
Centre 11).
These categories of audiences knew each other and participated actively to motivate the
solo-singer and the drummer. The audience shouts enliven the mood of the performance
(Creutzenberg 4). The audiences have also contributed to the development of Pansori through
their active participation and empathy. The empathy from the audience is a significant factor in
Pansori performance. It indicates the tastes and reaction of audience members, which affect the
lyrics, aniri and the mood of the singer. In so doing, Pansori has been able to reflect the sorrows
and joys of the public using satire and humor, and teach relevant moral lessons (National Gugak
Centre 12). Today, the categorization of the audience has changed. Audience include Pansori
experts, students, members of the public and tourists. Most members of the audience also do not
understand the value or meaning of chuimsae (shouts of encouragement). However, expert and
students of Pansori in the audience, together with the Pansori performer, lead the audience in
chuimsae.
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1.1.5 Religious Context of Pansori
The root of Pansori songs is shamanic traditional music. Shamanism was the initial
religious belief in Korea before the advent of other religious faiths like Confucianism and
Buddhism. Shamanic music had several melodies, which developed into in many different styles
of music such as Moodang’s Kut(Gut), Buddhism and Gugak(Kuk-ak). Shamanic songs provided
not only a place of sanctity for the Korean people but served other important religious purposes.
The songs were sung during ancestor-worship ceremonies and when moving idols to and from
their scared places. The aim was to pay homage to the idols, and to gather and organize the
people attending the celebrations. The songs also provided an avenue to exalt and glorify the
splendor and good deeds of the idols, which changed according to season or needs. People would
offer sacrifice to pay homage to the deities or to pass on sentiments. In all these religious
activities, people sang shamanic songs. Shamanic music presented a form of entertainment for
both the people and the idols. Music performances involved the use of instrumental resonance,
vocal projection, and plain vocal performances. The tone of the songs was either jovial, sad, or
remorseful depending on the function at hand (Creutzenberg 4-6). As a result, Ancient Koreans
used music to worship their ancestors and to create a better life. Through these performances,
songs and lyrics were transmitted from Mudang, Buddhism, and Gugak(Kuk-ak). Pansori is a
decedent of Gugak(Kuk-ak) music, so the root of music in the Pansori came from shamanic
songs.
The fragmented and scanty documentation of the history of Pansori has undermined the
accurate determination of its origin and the reason behind the Koreans performing it. The
underlying reason for the fragmented history is that the use of the term Pansori began in the 20th
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century. Until the end of the 19th century, scholars used various terms such as bonsaga, taryeong,
jabga, and changgeukjo in reference to early the forms of Pansori (Hyung 2). The early
literature on Pansori also presents two parallel views of the origin of Pansori.
The first view traces the origin of Pansori to the Honam region. This view is based on the
argument that the first documented record and evidence of the origin of Pansori is a translation
in Sino-Korean Poetry in the Mahwa Book of 1753-1754 authored by You Jinhan. Jinham had
travelled to Horam region to attend a music performance by the performers of the Emperor
Kwanhoohee book. The two ancient books trace the origin of Pansori towards the end of the 17th
century. At the time, Pansori was simply the solo performance of a vocalist narrating a story.
The primary reason for this view is that many early performers, and even today, many Pansori
The second view is proposed by the Junggoje School in Gyeonggi and Chungcheong
provinces. The view argues that Pansori originated from all over Korea. They advocate that
Pansori is an integration of traditional musical genres and practices from all over Korea, which
eventually converged in the Honam region. Since then, the development of Pansori has been
concentrated in the Honam region (Hyung 3). However, this view provides conflicting details
because of disagreements on which aspect of the traditional musical genres formed the
foundation of Pansori. Some argue traditional tales formed the literary root of Pansori songs.
For instance, the “Tale of a Royal Secret Commissioner”, “Tale of Ugly Woman” and “Tale of a
Virtuous Woman” formed the plot of the Pansori song Chunhyangga. In addition, the plot of
Pansori songs have a similarity to traditional folktales. The other theory is that the foundation of
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Pansori is shamanic songs because the original Pansori performers were Shamans. However,
both views trace the origin of Pansori to the Honam region and its early performers the Shamans
in the 17th century. Again, there is a consensus among early scholars that the origin and the
development of Pansori were during the Joseon Dynasty, which lasted between 1392 and 1910
(Hyung 23).
The development of the concept and practice of Pansori has undergone significant
transformations over the centuries. The transformations have happened in four different and
distinct eras – the era of escalation or formation (18th century), the era of affluence (19th century),
the era of declination (early 20th century), and the era of reincarnation (late 20th century).
The era of escalation, sometimes referred to as the era of formation, in the 18th century,
marked the period of the formation of Pansori and its specialization into twelve fields. In this era,
early performers of Korean traditional music began fusing shamanic songs and folktales into a
single musical performance. Shamanic songs were religious songs. They were sung to
communicate and to uphold religious values. Folktales on the other hand, were themed stories
with fictional characters. They were told to educate and entertain its audience, who were
members of Korean traditional societies. Folktales taught moral lessons, promoted culturally
acceptable traits and behaviors, and instilled communal values to improve relationships between
members of the Korean society. The fusion of shamanic songs and folktales into single
performing arts gave rise to the early form of Pansori. Shamanic music formed chang (sung
words), changdan (rhythmic beats of the drummer) and cho (melodies) while folktales formed
15
In this era of escalation, the twelve specialized fields (madangs) of Pansori were founded.
The main performers of Pansori were the gwangdae, who were in the lower social class of the
Korean society. They had no diverse vocal skills like those of master singers of Pansori and
there are no records of their performances or achievements. However, towards the end of the 18th
century, the audience of Pansori had begun to expand from the lower class (common people) to
the upper class. A record of Chunhyanga written by Yu Jinhan, a wealthy middle class man
(yangban), attests to the observation that the middle class had begun listening and contributing to
the development of Pansori. The main significance of the era of escalation is the growth of
Pansori from a common people’s type of entertainment into professional performing arts
indicated by the specialization of Pansori into twelve madang (fields). Another significance is
the composition of audience expanding from the common people to include the wealthy middle
The era of affluence in the 19th century marked the period when Pansori flourished in
splendor and glory. During this era, Pansori gained unprecedented growth and popularity, which
included the development and increased performance of twelve specialized song stories. The
audience size and composition expanded and Pansori performers received increased respect and
admiration, which translated into a new level of professionalism and a mastery of vocal arts. The
size of the audience grew because the wealthy middle class began to enjoy and attend Pansori
performances. Whereas the main audience remained the common people, the wealthy middle
class acted as patrons and influenced great advancements in the development of Pansori. The
expansion of audience to include the wealthy middle class influenced aesthetic changes in the
16
narration, rhythm and shouts from the audience to poke fun at both the common and wealthy
With its popularity, splendor and glory, Pansori performers incorporated humor in the
form of puns and satires. Pansori performers used puns to create intellectual humor that appealed
to both the wealthy and the poor in the society, and satire to ridicule the wealthy and the
administration system. However, it was clear that the aesthetic tastes of the common and the
noble classes were distinctively different. The noble class preferred elegant and serious stories
about tragedy and solemnity whereas the common class preferred stories about sincerity,
directness and pureness that were communicated through humor and tragedy. Towards the end of
the 19th century, the aesthetic tastes of Pansori largely reflected the tastes of the noble and
aristocratic classes, because they shaped the development of Pansori. In fact, it is the noble class
who considered seven of the twelve specialized fields of Pansori morally inappropriate and
prevented their transmission (Lee 74). The noble class also influenced Pansori performance by
reinforcing the use of song and body movement to communicate and corroborate the theme of
the story. For instance, slow music rhythms and intonation underlined a sad and gloomy
atmosphere. The varied themes and performance styles of the Pansori appealed to varied
audiences and influenced the specialization of performers (Kim and Heyman 51).
The era of declination in the early to mid-20th century marked significant conceptual
changes in the performance of Pansori. The most significant changes were in the transmission
methods and performance styles, which were influenced by the increasing the competition from
western-style of performing arts. The Japanese colonial occupation of Korea between 1910 and
1945 opened Korea to western style performing arts. The Japanese also introduced a westernized
17
Japanese education system. Most students of music were schooled to believe western-style
performing arts had more value than Korean cultural performing arts (Kim 2). The education
system transformed transmission methods of Pansori from informal oral and practical lessons
The original performance style of Pansori also underwent significant changes during this
period. It became a fusion between the original Pansori performance and western-style
performing arts. Pansori performance began to have more than one singer and performing time
reduced. Performance venues and stages underwent major transformations as well: from market
and open court performances to indoor stages similar to western opera performance stages.
Following the formation of gisaeng johap, organizations that nurtured the talents of female
master singers, the population of female performers increased significantly and, with time, out-
numbered the population of male performers. Because the degree of dexterity of the female body
is much higher than that of the male body, the introduction of female performers added physical
Changgeuk sori, a form resembling western theatre. Changgeuk sori significantly differed from
the original Pansori because it has few spoken parts and incorporated many actors who played
In the original Pansori, the song-story narrator used vocal power to distinguish a wide
range of characters and emotions. Therefore, only performers who could use their voices to
articulate different types of emotions could perform (Ch’ŏn-hŭng 51-55). The Changgeuk sori
was less demanding for performers because it was divided into parts, with a different performer
for each part. The ability to articulate a variety of emotions was not necessary since performers
chose and played the roles to which they were best suited. Since the audience accepted
18
Changgeuk sori in mid-20th century, Pansori had to change to appeal to the audience and to
remain relevant to the changing society. The Changgeuk sori emerged because of increased
competition from western-style performing arts. Pansori performers knew they could not
successfully compete against the western opera and theatre. They gathered in groups and formed
the Korea Vocal Music Study Association. This was the era of the five master singers (Song
Mangap, Yi Dongbaek, Kim Changhwan, Pak Gihong, and Kim Changryong) who contributed to
the teaching and preservation of Pansori. In the era of declination, Pansori lost popularity as
Changgeuk sori became more popular, which assimilated some concepts of the western-style
The era of reincarnation in the late 20th century (1960 to present) marked the period of
concerted efforts to prevent the extinction of Pansori. This was came after the Japanese colonial
Koreans. After the colonial occupation, many Koreans did not understand the value and
importance of Pansori to Korean culture, which created the need to preserve Pansori. The most
evident effort to preserve Pansori as a cultural heritage was the legislation of the Cultural
Properties Law of 1962. The law was the result of a growing public perception of the need to
recognize and preserve national culture and ethnicity. The objective of the law was to establish a
constant communication structure in arts, particularly performance arts. The law increased
awareness and recognition of Pansori and a few years later was the driver behind the reservation
of the right of Pansori as non-material asset of the Korean culture (Hyung 3). This era of
reincarnation also witnessed the safeguarding and documentation of five Pansori songs for future
generations as outlined below alongside the year of their preservation (Hyung 20).
19
The first Pansori song to be preserved was Chunhyangga, in 1964. It is one of the five
specialized fields of Pansori. It was recorded and preserved because the Pansori masters were
passing away. It was preserved in its traditional form to provide educational material for future
generations. Gangsanje Simcheongga was the second Pansori song to be preserved in 1968. The
song is from the Boseong region. It was important to preserve because the deoneum tradition was
limited to this song. Sugungga was the third Pansori song to be preserved in 1970. By 1970, only
three Pansori singers who performed this song were still alive, creating the need to preserve it to
prevent its extinction. The song consists of Junggoje and Gyeonggi and Chungcheong , which do
not appear in other Pansori songs and hence the need for its preservation. The song was
was the fourth Pansori song to be preserved in 1971. It had stylistic features and required a
powerful male voice making it one of the most difficult Pansori song to perform. It was
important to preserve to prevent its extinction since only four male singers performing the song
were alive. The fifth Pansori song to be preserved was Heungboga in 1971. It is among the three
grand Pansori songs that contained satire and wit. The song is rare because it represents the stage
The identification for preservation of common Pansori songs was essential since a
significant number of prolific experts in Pansori were in advanced ages or dying. The risk of
losing such a cultural heritage would be an injustice to the Korean culture. In the same era, the
public held Pansori performers in high esteem and their names were enshrined in the history of
arts among the great contributors to the Korean cultural art. However, even with the re-creation
and efforts to pass Pansori to the next generation, the current Pansori students have incorporated
diverse aspects of style that is a clear departure from the Pansori that was passed down by their
20
predecessors. However, the Korean Government continues to put concerted efforts for the
preservation of Pansori. The Government has enlisted master soloists to manage the curriculum
and teaching of Pansori culture at schools and families in Korea. They also submit monthly
reports about the teaching and learning of Pansori in schools and in family arrangements (Hyung
5).
More recently, in the 1980s to 1990s, there was a strong cultural change throughout the
Korean society. This changed the effectiveness of the laws and policies on the preservation of
Pansori. The main driver of the widespread cultural change was the expansion of the popular
culture brought by globalization and media. Although the growth of popular culture was not as
widespread as it is today, it affected the efforts to preserve Pansori in the original form. Pansori
assimilated some aspects of the western opera-like performance, which led to the development of
the contemporary creative Pansori, led by a famous contemporary Pansori performer Im Jintaek
(Hyung 25-27).
In the 2000s to the present, the contemporary creative Pansori has had a significant
growth both in the number of songs and audience. The fear of losing the Pansori tradition is one
of the main factors driving the growth of the contemporary Pansori. This is evident in the themes
of the stories of the contemporary Pansori revolve around fairy tales, dream and pains of the
upper class and political satire similar to the traditional Pansori songs. Despite the growth of the
contemporary Pansori, there is still a concern of preserving and transmitting the Pansori
tradition. This is a concern because older, experienced Pansori singers are not actively
participating in the development and promotion of the contemporary Pansori because they
21
Western genres of music, which are currently playing on the radio, threaten Gugak(Kuk-
ak) and Pansori. Because of this shift in focus, Pansori is on the brink of extinction. Current
Pansori performers believe that the art form is well developed, and should remain as it is. They
put no effort in supporting its transmission to the next generation. They perceive transmission of
Pansori from the current to the next generation is a difficult job because learning Pansori
requires dedication and many years of practice. Although the preservation of old Pansori songs
has been successful, there is need for Pansori to find a new path. Trying to preserve the
traditional pieces of Pansori could contribute to the demise of Pansori as a living art. Pansori
has been shaped by many masters to become the present Pansori. It had been divided into seven
sects with their distinctive own characteristic music style. Preservation of only the traditional
pieces of Pansori creates the perception that newer pieces are less valuable and does not
encourage present performers to develop their own deoneum. The history of Pansori is also hard
to trace, as many documents were lost during the Japanese colonization and many wars. Whereas
the quantity of the contemporary Pansori is increasing, it is not clear whether they are improving
the quality of Pansori as a living art or not. The consideration of audience participation is
necessary for re-writing the history of Pansori in the 21st century (Hyung 28-29).
In each of the eras of Pansori, there was the emergence of famous performers (singers)
each reflecting the developmental changes in Pansori. Table 2 lists the famous singers alongside
22
Table 2: Master Singers alongside their Songs and Era
23
1.3 Review of Literature
The body of literature on Pansori is either patchy or not very recent. This has undermined
the accurate determination and understanding of the history and the development of Pansori as a
traditional Korean performing art. It has also undermined the current efforts by the Korean
government and performers to preserve and to promote Pansori. In particular, the majority of the
recent publications on Pansori are from the last 20 years, written in both Chinese letter and
Korean. The lack of translations of Chinese publications on Pansori into either Korean or
English has also denied a proper review of important literature on the history and the
development of Pansori. However, a few publications such as our literature history book provide
translations to the contents or abstracts of some studies on Pansori published in either Chinese or
Korean languages. In addition, literature from the U.S. focuses extensively on the Western
theatre art with little mention of Pansori, further denying Western understanding and support of
Pansori. Despite the paucity of research on Pansori and language barriers, a few authors
including Haekyung Um, Yoon-Hee Chang, Sheen Dae-Cheol, Jan Creutzenberg, Yon-Ho Suh,
Jeong-Ha Kim, Doobo Shim, and Je-Ho Yoo do offer a deep insight into Pansori. This review
examines publications of these authors in terms of their aims, methodology, strengths and
performing arts of Asia, focusing on Korea and its Diasporas. In 2012, she conducted research on
Pansori titled, Performing Pansori music drama: stage, story and sound. The aim of the study
was to examine the changes in three key features of Pansori, stage, story and sound through the
18th to 21st centuries. The methodology of the study combines historical research and interviews.
The study clearly draws on historic literature to identify sound, stage and story as the key
24
features defining Pansori. The study also clearly documents the changes in the three features of
Pansori from the original Pansori in the 18th century to the modern Pansori in the 21st century.
However, the study does not examine the cultural impact of Pansori. The study is a good source
to provide historical understanding of Pansori while I supplement the cultural context for
Pansori.
Yoon-Hee Chang is a lecturer at Chugye University for the Arts, and a researcher with
the Asian Music Research Centre at Seoul National. She published, Pansori, its globalization,
and cultural hybridity in contemporary Korean Traditional Music in 2015. The aim of the study
was to explore Pansori and its transformation and transmission in the era of globalization. The
study adopted an ethnographic research method. The study observes young Pansori performers
and innovative Pansori music groups such as Yi Ja-ram, Kim Bong-yeong, Taru, and
Singugagdan Sorea, who aim to globalize Pansori. The study clearly indicates that new forms of
music can still preserve Pansori. Although the new Pansori has shortened performance time,
different stage setting (theatres and auditorium), and reduced audience participation, performers
still use traditional stage names, attire and stories (political satire, and dreams and pains of the
upper class), which are similar to those of the original Pansori. However, the article does not
examine whether the changes in the new Pansori are the result of social changes or economic
reasons. The study is a good source to provide an ethnographic understanding of the new Pansori
Korea, wrote a research article titled, “Korean music in the 19th century”, in 2009. The study’s
methodology was archival research. The research draws on primary sources held in archives such
as manuscripts, documents, objects, sound and audio-visual materials to document and illustrate
25
the key changes to Pansori in the 19th century. The study finds that the opening up of Korea to
western concepts of performing arts through military Bands and protestant church music in the
curriculum began in the 19th century. However, the study did not examine the actual impact of
western concepts of performing arts on Pansori. The study also examines three types of Korean
traditional music: literati music, Pansori and sanjo. It did not go into sufficient detail on changes
in Pansori in the 19th century. The study is a good source to provide an understanding of the
introduction of westernized music concepts into Korea while I supplement with their impact on
Pansori.
wrote a research article on Pansori titled, “Creating communities: preservation, promotion and
revival of tradition in Pansori performance”, in 2010. The study aimed to explore the changing
role of tradition and community in different forms of concurrent Pansori practice in modern-day
Korea. The study’s methodology combined historical research and performance analysis of new
Pansori. The study indicates the current efforts by performers and the Korean Government
(through the Cultural Property Preservation Law of 1962) to preserve Pansori have created three
forms of Pansori: orthodox, touristic and experimental Pansori. Each of these three forms of
Pansori has its own advantages and disadvantages in preserving and promoting Pansori to both
local and international audiences. However, the study did not examine the role of education and
the audience in influencing the formation of these three forms of Pansori. Audience participation
is an integral part of Pansori. This study is a good source to provide an insight into the
inadequacies of the current efforts by government and performers to preserve and to promote
Pansori.
26
Jeong-Ha Kim, a student of Korean traditional performing arts, wrote a thesis titled,
Korean primary school music education during Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945), in 2013.
The aim of the study was to examine the impact of the primary school music education during
the Japanese colonial role on Korean traditional performing arts. The study’s methodology
combined historical research on music textbooks and education policy documents and interviews
with elderly Koreans who attended primary schools during the colonial era. The study clearly
identifies and outlines four educational policies between 1911 and 1943 enacted by the Japanese
colonial masters had a significant impact on the decline of Korean traditional performing arts,
especially Pansori. However, the study did not examine the influence of Japanese westernized
music concepts on Korea traditional performing arts. The study is a good source to provide an
wrote a journal article titled, “Hybridity and the rise of Korean popular culture in Asia”, in 2005.
The aim of the study was to explore the contemporary Korean popular culture and its effect on
Korean traditional performing arts. The study adopts an ethnographic research method. The
research methodology combines historical research and performance analysis of Korean popular
(K-pop) music and artists, and films. The study clear indicates themes from Korean traditional
performing arts such as Pansori still form the content of some of today’s successful Korean films.
foreign relations between Korea and Vietnam. However, the study does not look into the effect
of western culture on the new Pansori. This study is a good source to provide an understanding
27
Yon-Ho Suh, a Pansori researcher, wrote an article titled, “The revolutionary operas and
plays in North Korea”, in 1991. The study aimed to explore the development of Pansori in the
18th century through to the 20th century. The study methodology utilized historical research. The
study finds the Confucian culture was prejudiced against trade, thereby preventing Korean
communities from accumulating wealth to form a class of prosperous merchants. In China and
Japan, merchants were the main audience and drivers behind performances in theatres. Japanese
colonization of Korea opened up Korea to foreign cultures and markets influencing the growth of
mercantile economy and the emergence of theaters. Theaters were associated with the
development of dramatic art forms and passive audience consumption of art forms. However, the
study does not look into the effect of the Japanese colonial education on Pansori. This study was
research article titled, “Local characteristics of Pansori and means of its globalization: focusing
on linguistic and cultural communicability”, in 2007. The study aimed to determine whether
translation of the five specialized fields of Pansori into foreign language could be a means to
promote and globalize Pansori. The study methodology was a comparison of the author’s own
performances of Pansori in Korean original version and in translated French version. The study
indicates that translation attracts foreign audiences and creates an international awareness of
Pansori but loses the original musical, poetic, and narrative contents of Pansori. However, the
study did not examine the effect of translation in English, which is has a larger audience
compared to French. This is a good source to provide an understanding into the means to
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1.4 Importance of the Study
its use and performance has been declining in recent decades. Part of the reason underlining the
decline is the lack of knowledge on the importance of Pansori to the contemporary Korean
people. The findings of this study will be significant to the Korean People and to the performers
of Pansori. This study seeks to document the important role Pansori played to Korean people
and its usefulness to the present and future generations of Koreans. This documentation of
Pansori aims to provide a comprehensive source of information for the contemporary Korean
person. This is important since globalization has influenced the decline of most traditional
cultures. Art is an important cultural element, such that, its documentation provides
the Korean people. Preservation of Pansori will only be achieved if the people of Korea
This study is important to create an awareness and deep understanding of the socio-
economic importance of Pansori to encourage and promote its preservation. Culture is the new
fuel that drives the creative and artistic industries, with the potential of wealth creation and
income generation (Bangkok 3). As an “Intangible Cultural Heritage” of the Korean people,
Pansori has the potential to improve the socio-economic conditions of Pansori performers,
teachers and students of Pansori. Pansori also has the potential to earn the country foreign
exchange and to improve earnings from tourism. Creating an understanding of the economic
importance of Pansori aims to encourage the common Korean citizen and create the desire to
29
This study is also important since it promotes and encourages the preservation of Pansori.
The findings create a deep awareness about the existing and emergent threats to Pansori. By
drawing on existing literature and expert opinions, this study documents the factors that
influence the decline of Pansori to contribute to the current policy debate on potential but
effective interventions to preserve and to promote Pansori. The modern styles of music are a
significant threat to Pansori since most modern players try to assimilate the modern styles into
Pansori, which transforms Pansori into a form of entertainment at the expense of the role of
educating audiences on moral lessons. The study also illustrates the importance of Pansori in
promoting and growing the tourism industry. This is achieved by highlighting Pansori as an
“Intangible Cultural Heritage”, and creating awareness and encouraging local and foreign
This study is also important in promoting cultural cohesion of the Korean people. Korea
has a diverse set of cultural beliefs and practices. Most Korean people still believe and practice
their traditions and culture. Whereas many Korean communities share some common cultural
beliefs, each community has beliefs or traditions that distinguish them from the other cultures. In
these diverse Korean cultures, Pansori integrates various cultural beliefs and practices in one
performance. Thus, by creating awareness of Pansori and encouraging its preservation, this
study promotes cultural integration by bringing members from various cultures – Korean and
Pansori performance integrates practices from different cultures thereby increasing tolerance of
other cultures as well as providing the opportunity for members of different cultures to interact
(Kuh Ja-Kyoung 37). Songs and dances were the dominant traditional forms of entertainment
and education of the Korean people. The significance of music varied from one culture or
30
religion to another. Songs were either sacred songs sung during special occasions or folk songs
sung during cultural events such as initiation to pass moral lessons. A Pansori performance
achieves both purposes because it integrates these forms to entertain and educates the audiences
methodology combines historical research, the researcher’s own experience learning and
performing Pansori, and interviews with Pansori singers and scholars. The historical research
consisted of discovering and appraising existing studies on Pansori. The aim of this historical
research was to explore the early forms of Pansori, its key distinguishing features and its
importance to traditional Korean culture and efforts to preserve and promote Pansori. The
historical research aimed to understand the original Pansori, its early forms, its development and
transmission, and importance to traditional Korean society. The researcher’s own experience
involved registering for, and taking part in, a Gugak(Kuk-ak) class. The Gugak(Kuk-ak) class
offered me the opportunity to learn about the original Pansori performance, the requirements of
a Pansori singer and the difference between the original and modern Pansori. The Gugak(Kuk-
ak) class also showed me how singers could preserve and promote Pansori using newer styles
and themes that are attractive to the modern-day Pansori audiences. Finally, interviews with
Pansori singers and scholars aimed to achieve an ethnographically founded comparison between
the original and modern Pansori. I also aimed, through interviews, to gather the perceptions of
Pansori singers and researchers about the means to promote Pansori in this era of globalization.
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Chapter 2: Why Pansori is Important to Korean Culture
This chapter draws from existing literature to discuss the importance of Pansori to
traditional Korean culture. The discussion focuses on the historical role of Pansori rather than on
the present role, which is covered in Chapter 4 “Why Pansori is Important to Preserve”. This
chapter recognizes the persistence of Pansori over the centuries as a traditional performing art,
which suggests the important role Pansori continues plays in the Korean culture. The discussion
draws on Alan C. Heyman’s study on the psyche and unique character of Korean traditional
dance. The study observed Pansori assists Korean people to understand their culture through
communicating emotions, teaching moral lessons, and propagating cultural values from one
Pansori plays an important role of educating the traditional Korean community about
different emotions that they usually experience in their day-to-day life to make them appreciate
and tolerate one another. Pansori performances teach audiences how to express and manage a
wide range of emotions. In a typical traditional Pansori performance, the singer and drummer
use a themed story to convey emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, joy, trust, disgust, love,
surprise and anticipation. The specialized fields of Pansori – Chunhyangga, Simcheongga, and
Chunhyangga teaches about fidelity of a wife to her husband. Chunhyang was from a
low-socio-economic background married to the son of a governor. Despite threats for her
execution, she declined sexual advances from the new governor. Her husband, then a newly
appointed governor inspector, returns to her rescue. The song teaches the importance of love and
a woman’s chastity in uniting people from different social and economic levels. Simcheongga
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teaches about filial love, piety and perseverance. Simcheong offered herself as a sacrifice to the
King of the Sea to restore his father’s sight but out of pity, the King of the Sea freed her and she
meets and marries the King of her country. In a party she organized for blind people, she reunites
with his father. Her deep filial love and piety makes her father regain his sight. The song teaches
filial love and piety is important for the well-being of the family. Heungboga teaches about the
perils of human greed. Heungbo’s good deeds to a swallow with a broken leg reaps him fortune.
His wicked brother also breaks a swallow‘s leg and shows good deeds but reaps trouble. From
the song, people learn about the rewards of being pleasant and good-natured and the punishment
The hallmark of Pansori is the involvement of the audience. The audiences are not
encouragement, which creates and builds a feeling of empathy between the singer and the
audience. The feeling of empathy encourages and motivates the singer, and sets the mood that
resonates well with the anticipation of the audience or public (Heyman 10). Moreover, active
audience participation means that audience members are not only being entertained but also have
a higher likelihood to receive and understand fully the moral lesson the singer is conveying.
Indeed, all the five specialized fields of Pansori teach a moral lesson and these lessons are the
main reason they are still popular to this day. Chunhyangga teaches women moral values are
more important than falling to the traps of aristocratic men. Simcheongga teaches the moral
lesson about self-sacrifice and salvation. Heungboga teaches the moral story that depicts the
disadvantages of human greed and the culture of materialism. Sugungga teaches the moral story
of wisdom and its importance during conflict resolution between the ruler and the ruled.
33
Jeokbyeokga teaches sincerity to friends, the importance of deeds that aim to improve the
welfare of the entire community, as well as the pain normal people undergo in their day-to-day
Pansori is able to teach several moral lessons because a typical performance contains
more than one themed story. Each of the themed stories aims to teach the audience a specific
moral lesson. As such, in any one Pansori performance, the audience learns more than one moral
lesson using real, practical examples drawn from life. For instance, in the song Chunhyangga,
the audience learns two moral lessons: the importance of love and woman’s chastity in a
relationship, and the dangers of promiscuous behaviors among the rich. The singer and the
drummer have the responsibility of coming up with a theme for the performance that resonates
well with the mood of the audience. Given the fact that Pansori also conveys different emotions
among the audience, the performers are in a position to use this avenue to pass different moral
lessons to their audience. Teaching of moral values through active participation of the audience
as was done through Pansori should be emulated in the current passive teaching methods used to
teach morals values in schools. They are not as effective as the active participation of the
audience and teaching of moral lessons in a typical Pansori performance (Heyman 61-68).
Although the use of the term Pansori began in the early 20th Century, it has been an
iconic and a dominant form of Korean traditional performing arts since the 17th Century. The
persistence of Pansori for more than 200 years provides the evidence that it has successfully
passed from one generation to the next (Hyung 2). The trans-generational nature of Pansori
strongly suggests it is both a salient feature of the Korean traditional performing arts and an
important avenue for passing Korean cultural values from one generation to the next. Despite its
34
recent decline amidst the dominance of western cultures in the present era of globalization,
concerted efforts by the governments and other key stakeholders such as Pansori performers,
teachers and students to preserve and promote Pansori is a clear indication of its importance as a
cultural heritage for the Korean people. By involving famous and upcoming singers from
different generational brackets while at the same time focusing on the varying needs and
preferences of the different generations, Pansori transfers the knowledge and expertise of one
generation to the next. As such, Pansori plays a key role, both in the past and in the present, to
ensure both the preservation and promotion of the culture and cultural values of the Korean
According to Kim Myosin, who reviewed Korean folk music and its engagement in the
20th century and beyond, Pansori does not only preserve cultural values of the Korean people but
also promotes and revives the traditions of the Korean community (306). Rapid urbanization and
modernization has had the significant effect of eroding the culture and cultural values of many
traditional societies within the Korean community. The present efforts by the government,
teachers and performers of Pansori to preserve the art form recognize the important role Pansori
plays in preserving and promoting cultural values of the Korean community. The teaching of
Pansori has emerged as an important way to preserve, promote and revive the traditions and
cultural values of the Korean community. However, teaching and performing Pansori requires
targeting the contemporary audiences to create the awareness and the importance of Pansori to
achieve the government’s efforts of preserving and globalizing the Korean culture through
performing arts.
35
2.4 Pansori Promotes Community Cohesion
A cultural heritage is a symbol of the history, the tradition and qualities that a
community has had for many years. It forms an important and integral part of the character of
that community. For the Korean people, Pansori represents an artistic cultural performance,
which provides the foundation through which different Korean communities come together and
share their rich culture. It plays a vital role in bringing together people from different Korean
communities or religious affiliations. Indeed, during the era of prosperity in the 19th Century,
Pansori brought together people from the all socio-economic levels in the Korean community
(Suhr 29). During the period of prosperity, mastersingers, with support from the audience,
founded the twelve specialized fields outlined in the introductory chapter. The twelve specialized
fields, with their wide socio-economic appeal, expanded the audience provided the platform for
social integration.
communities and regions, Pansori it is able to bring members of different communities and
classes together and make them appreciate and tolerate their differences (Suhr 29). The earliest
form of Pansori was uhui, an impromptu play performed by street entertainers before developing
into an independent performing art. At that time, the main Pansori audience were common
people, who had little opportunities to meet or socialize with the yangban (high-class). In 1754,
Yu Jinhan recorded a Pansori performance as a yangban, which attracted the high class into the
audience. From that point onwards, Pansori provided an opportunity for the members of the low
and high class to meet and interact. It created an awareness of the likes and preferences of
members of the low and high class. The awareness increased appreciation and promoted
36
In promoting community cohesion and unity, Pansori also played a significant role in
galvanizing the Korean community into fighting against the Japanese colonial occupation in the
late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Pansori song, Yeolsaga (Song of a Patriot)
written in the 1930s expressed a strong desire for independence and for the establishment of
Korean sovereignty. The Song of a Patriot was different from the earlier forms of Pansori, which
had different aesthetic values depending on the social class of the audience. It brought together
the aesthetic values found in the Pansori for the nobles and for the common class, and
independence. In the later versions, the song identified a hero who was important for the
community members to look up upon or to emulate the courage and resilience in fighting the
Whereas Pansori provides the platform to teach moral lessons and to pass knowledge
traditional setting. In its early forms, Pansori provided entertainment to audiences from different
cultural and religious backgrounds. It is entertaining because it integrates the traditional folk
tales (story telling) and musical sounds to appeal to audiences that loved either stories or musical
rhythms. Dancing, gestures and drumbeats also entertained the audiences. To ensure a Pansori
performance is entertaining, the singer and the drummer go through a comprehensive preparation
and perfection of their art. Proper preparation requires years of training of the vocal cords. For
mastersingers, training includes practicing under a waterfall to train their vocal cords to produce
sounds that penetrate the noise of the waterfall (Hyung 53). Proper preparation is essential to
ensure they give their best and most passionate performance. During performance, both the
37
singer and the drummer pay attention to audience involvement. The kind of words the audiences
shout in response to the performance guides the singer and the drummer to improvise and ensure
the audience remains entertained and educated. Indeed, it is the support of the audience that
elevates Pansori singers and their performances to greater heights. Most of the famous Pansori
performers had overwhelming support from the audience, such that their versions became a
deoneum, modifications or new additions to an original traditional Pansori that are transmitted
relevant to the changing entertainment needs of the audience. In the earliest form, Pansori was
performed outdoors, in the market places. The main content was jaedam (humor) presented in
the form of vulgar talk, slander and parody made for the common person. With the expansion of
the audience to include the yangban (high class), satirical content was developed and Pansori
humorous content declined because it did not fit the entertainment needs of the upper classes.
With increasing competition from Western theatre and opera, Pansori developed to include
female performers to sing female parts and group performances each specializing on a particular
part of the song. Group and female performances brought a diversity of talents and styles to
Pansori is important to traditional Korean culture in five main ways. First, Pansori
creates a deeper understanding of emotions to increase appreciation and tolerance for one
another. The teaching focuses on the family as a functional unity of society. It teaches the
importance of love and filial piety to the wellbeing of the family. Second, Pansori teaches about
38
moral values, including lessons on the importance of woman’s chastity, perseverance and self-
sacrifice to the wellbeing of the society, and the dangers of vices such as human greed and the
culture of materialism, and many others. Third, Pansori is a channel of transmission of Korean
cultural values from one generation to the next. Fourth, Pansori promotes community cohesion.
It brings together people from different Korean communities, religion affiliations and socio-
economic classes. It also played a role in galvanizing the Korean community against Japanese
colonial occupation. Fifth, Pansori is a form of entertainment. It uses humor and satire to
entertain audiences from both high and low socio-economic classes. The next chapter examines
39
Chapter 3: Why Pansori has become Less Popular
Today, the number of Pansori performances and singers in Korea show a sharp decline
from the numbers in the 19th century. The decline is evident in the significant reduction of
popularity of Pansori, both in the size of audiences and the numbers of student performers
interested in learning Pansori. Two of the fundamental reasons for the reduced popularity are: (1)
the inadequacies of the methods the Korean government has taken to preserve Pansori, and (2)
the introduction of western (English) performing arts genres such as opera and pop music.
The Korean Cultural Property Protection Law (KCPP) of 1962 designated Pansori as an
important intangible cultural artifact and a symbol of the national culture of the Korean people
(Yang 89). The Korean government uses the KCPP law to preserve and to promote Pansori as a
living national treasure in both national and international spheres. Although the KCCP law has
good intentions, some Pansori performers and scholars are critical of whether the law has really
achieved the intended objectives. The objectives of the KCCP law were to preserve Pansori as a
Korean cultural heritage and to give legitimate mandate to the government as the keeper of the
tradition of Pansori. Performers and scholars have criticized government efforts to preserve
Pansori by focusing on the original form at the expense of changes in the modern traditional and
cultural practices of the Korean people. The cultural law also does not promote or encourage
creativity and flexibility within performances, which was a primary component in the early
forms of Pansori. In the early forms, singers had the flexibility to be creative. This led to the
development of Pansori through deoneum, where a singer modifies an original Pansori to come
up with a new song (Hyung 49). The KCCP law places a greater emphasizes on, and even
40
adherence to, “photo-singing” to replicate the early form of Pansori performance. Simple
replication of original Pansori pieces undermines the creativity of singers to modify and to
develop newer forms of Pansori to enable them to appeal to modern-day Koreans. Whereas the
KCCP law emphasizes the preservation of Pansori, the Korean government promotes Pansori
through three types of Pansori performances: orthodox Pansori, touristic Pansori, and
experimental Pansori.
The term “orthodox Pansori” refers to Pansori performances that take place in well-
established venues, mostly on classical theatre stages. A piece from the five specialized fields of
staged as “high art” in the western sense through the setting − an elevated stage raising the singer
above the audience − and a full-length performance indicating unity of the piece. Orthodox
Pansori is a part of the Korean Government’s cultural policy to preserve Pansori through re-
enacting, re-inventing or re-living the aura and the feelings of the original Pansori performances
of the 18th and 19th centuries through classical theatres and full-length performances of one of the
established specialized fields of Pansori. The venues of the performances (pan) are well-
established theatre stages situated to present the ancient feelings of court and marketplace
performances venues. However, these theatrical stages place the performers above the audiences
creating the perception that the performers are more important than the audience is. This was not
the case in the early forms of Pansori, where both performers and audience were of equal
importance. Traditionally, the audience sat around singers during a Pansori performance
(Creutzenberg 4).
41
Chan Park contends that orthodox Pansori preserves traditions of Pansori but it
decontextualizes the performance from the contemporary Korean community and modern-day
cultural practices (107). As a symbol of national culture, the orthodox Pansori performances
should not only promote a national agenda, but Korean people should appreciate, participate in
and feel a sense of belonging with Pansori. The performances should also have a communal
feeling. Attending the Wanchang Series, Jan Creutzenberg observed that orthodox Pansori
performance includes little participation of the local community (5-6). The audiences are
aficionados of Pansori, who consist of Pansori singers, students of Pansori and serious members,
Chan Park also argues the orthodox Pansori alienates the local community through the
conduct of performers and audience participation (107-108). The performances begin with long
lectures of Pansori on the need for its continuity and its cultural importance. Most members of
the local community find these lectures boring, and more appropriate for students of Pansori.
(chuimsae) from audience are loud and precise, strongly suggesting audience participation is not
spontaneous, as in the early Pansori performances, but rather rehearsed and performed. The
lectures tell the audience what to do and, usually, add their own voices to the rhythm in unison.
Although their uniform shouts of chuimsae evoke nostalgic feelings of the centuries gone by, to
the local community in attendance it provides a sense of alienation because of the lack of
members of modern day Korea about chuimsae. The early form of Pansori performances had an
openness for audience to give feedback and to participate through chuimsae. In the orthodox
42
Pansori, the atmosphere and opportunity for audience participation depends on the attending
audience of experts.
According to Yeonok Jang, a Pansori researcher, the reluctance of the local Korean
communities to attend the modern-day Pansori performances is the widening gap between the
convention of Pansori and the entertainment needs of today’s Korean people (108). Further, the
introduction of modern and more familiar forms of art such as cinema draws larger crowds
because they appeal better to the local Korean communities. The local communities have nothing
to learn from the orthodox Pansori performance and little to relate to their everyday lives. In
addition, audience behaviors are changing, based on western cultures and the convention of
appreciating cultural performances in silence rather than through active participation as expected
Touristic Pansori refers to renown Pansori singers performing short acts of the original
Pansori performance alongside other genres, such as religious music. The various short acts are
often barely related, such as in the case of combining court music or religious dances with
Pansori. The main audience are international tourists and tourists from other parts of Korea. The
aim is to make Pansori accessible to the general audience who are not acquainted with its
The effort of touristic Pansori to appeal to its audience requires some modifications to
the original form of Pansori. The modifications have made Pansori lose part of its original aims
– to teach moral lessons. The first modification is the performance venues. The performance
usually takes place at popular sightseeing hotspots such as Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung
both of are places in Seoul, locations where tourists frequent. While these sightseeing spots
43
evoke informal performance venues of the earlier days such as recreated folk villages or ancient
palaces, they also distract audience attention from the performance. The audience is reduced to
silent spectators who watch passively and only applaud after the performance. The performance
also involves several singers performing in turns, rather than one master singer. This choice
reduces the performance time from the traditional three to eight hours of a single Pansori
performance to a mere ten to fifteen minutes. The reduced time means the singer can pass fewer
moral messages to the audience. There is also a loss of emotional attachment found in longer
performances. Furthermore, the short performances are usually not related to each other, making
it difficult for the audience to understand the moral lesson being conveyed. Since the main
audience is tourists, the teachings and lessons of touristic Pansori are detached from the
everyday life of the Korean people. As such, the performances do not reflect or influence their
day-to-day activities or influence the audience to be ambassadors who will advocate for its
preservation.
performance by young singers, often those still in training. Instead of performing the original
five pieces of Pansori, experimental Pansori attempts to create a new form that speaks about the
In a PhD thesis about the preservation, promotion and revival of tradition in Pansori
performance, Jan Creutzenberg criticizes the role of experimental Pansori in preserving Pansori
as a common unifying cultural heritage. This experimental approach relies on young singers in
their twenties and thirties, rather than master singers. Most of them are still undergoing Pansori
44
training. The focus is on communal aspects of Pansori, talking about the modern day challenges
and tribulations of Korean society. This is designed to increase their appeal to everyday people.
The role of the government is to support and facilitate young experimental Pansori singers or
groups of singers through donations or official recognition. One of the groups of upcoming
Pansori singers and their supporters is the National League of Ttorang Gwangdae. The purpose
of their experimental Pansori is to assist the government and stakeholders efforts in regaining the
spirit and life of the original Pansori. They argue that Pansori was a living art, which used to
speak for the local Korean community, but is now detached from the lives of many Koreans.
Their aim is to revive this purpose of Pansori, to use the art form to speak about the modern
times and way of life and have an influence on contemporary Korean culture (Creutzenberg 7-9).
Experimental Pansori is distinct from the orthodox and touristic Pansori because of the
use of new modern day stories such as sports, as seen in the Woldeukeop Itallia-jeon (“2002
World Cup Italy Story”) by Yoo Su-gong. The use of these stories targets contemporary Korean
youth. The stories are relevant because they use everyday language, relevant updated puns, pop
culture references and a wide range of socio-economic themes. However, the use of new stories
relating to a modern way of life departs from the original conventions of Pansori. The
foundation of experimental Pansori is not in a common shared cultural heritage but on audience
Two common titles of experimental Pansori are Jwiwang-ui Mollakgi (“The Fall of the
Mouse King”) by Choe Yong-seok and the aforementioned Woldeukeop Itallia-jeon. Jwiwang-ui
Mollakgi is a Pansori song that chronicles the career of President Lee Myung-bak beginning in
his time as a Mayor of Seoul. The song uses personified animals, including a mouse to represent
Lee. A mouse has been a satirical image of President Lee in political caricatures. Many Korean
45
youths know about such political caricatures and are better to understand the themes of the
Pansori song. Woldeukeop Itallia-jeon, on the other hand, is a Pansori song that re-tells the story
of the quarterfinal match between South Korea and Italy during the 2002 World Cup. Many
Korean youths believed a win for Korea was important to improve sports in general. They
actively participate in the song with shouts of “Daehan Minguk! Daehan Minguk!” (“Republic
Although experimental Pansori promotes Pansori as a living art, as its stories are relevant
to modern Korean society, to some extent it does not assist to preserve Pansori. The performers
can be one or more, and their performance is more comic, reflecting performance practice of
place outside of the art world, meaning the performance sometimes lack serious artistic value.
The performance of experimental Pansori also lacks the artistic vocal performance of orthodox
Pansori, such that, while it attracts newer youthful audience, it does not promote Pansori in the
No single factor has had a more profound effect on the popularity of Pansori today than
the introduction and the growing popularity of western performing arts and music (Sheen Dae-
Cheol 1-2). The introduction of western music had a greater impact and influence on Korea
musical culture, especially Pansori, than any other foreign music and performing arts introduced
in Korea. Western music is distinct and different from all the existing traditional forms of Korean
music. The process of introducing western performing arts in Korea began in the late 19th
century. Jeong Du-won was the first to introduce theoretical concepts of western music to Korea
in 1632. He drew his knowledge and theory of western music from the teachings of Catholic
46
priests in China. However, the influence of western music on Pansori and other traditional
Korean musical genres in the 19th century begun in 1882 when Lee Eun-Dol, the first Korean
who had studied western music in staff sergeant school of Japanese Army, began teaching bugle
bands at army bases in Seoul. Another influence was the introduction of religious music,
Sheen Dae-Cheol states that the introduction of western style military band music in
Korea in the late 19th Century was the beginning of the influence of western culture on Korean
traditional performing arts (11-12). In 1881, Lee Eun-Dol was the first Korean to study Western
music. He enlisted in the Japanese Army training school where he studied the bugle. He returned
to Korea in 1882 and began teaching military drill and bugle at a newly established western-style
army base. Several other army bases, including the stationary troops of the Qing Dynasty,
formed bugle bands. Later in 1883, a military band of German Navy officers performed some
western music to commemorate the friendship treaty between Korea and Germany in Seoul.
In early 1900s, the Korean minister Min Yeong-Hwan attended a coronation ceremony of
Nikolai the first in Russia. The western style military band performance delighted him. Upon
return to Korea, he proposed to the Korean Emperor Gojong to establish a western style military
band. Gojong accepted the proposal and passed a law to establish two western-style military
bands (the Royal Body Guards and Cavalry of Royal Body Guards) that played bugle and
western musical tunes. The emperor then invited F. Eckert, a renowned German musician, to
train the Korean military band to play western music tunes (Chang, 189-192). Eckert performed
in several concerts for Korean courts and government including a birth celebration of the
Emperor Gojong. Army bugle bands continued to play more bugle and western musical tunes in
47
many social events of Korean court or government and solacing citizens. The more the bands
played bugle tunes, the more they contributed to the spread of western music in Korea in the
early 20th century. However, Korean citizens considered bugle tunes military music by the
requirement of the ruling class (such as the Emperor). It lacked vocal appeal of the Pansori and
this is the reason bugle tunes did not spread to lower class Korean citizens.
Another major inroad of Western music into Korea was the spread of Christianity in the
late 19th century. Korean people who became Christians sang hymns in most religious occasions.
Seo Sang Yun first performed the protestant hymn, “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know” in Korea in
1884 and made efforts to popularize it. During the 1880s, H. G. Underwood, a missionary of the
Methodist Church began to teach hymns to converted Christians in churches. The church also
influenced the development of western music education in school curriculum. Protestant hymns
were included in the music education as Changga, a traditional form of Japanese music. Music
teachers at Protestant-run private schools also taught Christian hymns and choruses to students.
In 1892, the first hymn book of the Methodist Church, which had 27 different songs, was
published in Korea. The teaching and the publication of the Methodist Church hymns introduced
functional harmony that continually influenced Korean traditional music (Dae-Cheol 12-14).
Protestant hymns continued to spread into Korea between 1895 and 1908. During this
period, more western churches came to Korea – the Presbyterian, the Baptist and the Anglican
Churches. These churches published twelve more hymn books in Korea. These twelve books
were re-printed to match the increase of Christianity and Western church music. In the first half
of the 20th century, the church was the most powerful institution in the spread of western music
and therefore the greatest influence of western music on Pansori and other traditional forms of
48
Korean music. Some of the hymns contained secular words, which evolved into secular Changga.
However, hymns contributed to the spread of western music through the church and education,
which had a significant impact on Korean traditional music compared to the influence of military
band music, which was restricted to government and court functions and ceremonies (Dae-Cheol
14-16).
The 500-year rule of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) was founded on Confucian
philosophy and principles, which promoted and encouraged cultural stability in Korea. However,
the Japanese colonial occupation in Korea between 1910 and 1945 had major ramifications on
the Korean society and cultural practices. Ki-Ryun Sung argues that the influence of western
music on Pansori began with the Japanese reign in Korea between 1910 and 1945. The Japanese
colonial masters opened Korea to foreign performing arts especially sinpa-geuk (western-style
performing arts) and Japanese traditional music such as changga (Japanese traditional music
genre) and ppongjjak (translations of Western or Japanese popular songs). During the
especially Pansori, by levying taxes on theaters where Korean traditional performances were
held. After Annexation in 1910, the Japanese colonial masters prohibited Pansori performances.
They claimed Pansori was tainted, and evoked immoral sentiments. This period also marked the
also influenced the decline of Pansori. Most students of music and the westernized Japanese
education curriculum were educated to believe western music was more valuable than Korean
cultural music. Westernized Japanese education gradually and systematically eroded the cultural
49
identity of the Korean people. The missionaries were the first to introduce a western music
curriculum in Korea. However, during the Japanese colonial occupation, the entire curriculum
was westernized. The Japanese forcefully and suddenly introduced western music in Korean
schools at the expense of Korean traditional music. The changes to musical education in Korea
made by Japanese colonial occupiers persists to the modern music education curricula. The
impact of the loss of cultural identity towards traditional Korean music is evident in the modern
Korean youth (Kim 2). This is especially true since Koreans regard formal schools as critical and
effective institutions for learning and transmitting knowledge and culture from one generation to
another, as well as developing the ability to become a productive member of the society. In this,
regard, the Japanese use of formal school to introduce westernized ideals were learnt and
transmitted to the present generation of Koreans. They therefore have no specifically Korean
The Japanese influence and subsequent radical changes made to the Korean educational
and music curriculum began with the signing of the Protectorate Treaty between Japan and
Korea in 1905 and the establishment of the Japanese Residency General in Korea in 1906. Prior
to the Japanese colonization, the Joseon Dynasty had no formal music educational institutions
because they believed music did not have a significant effect on empowering locals
economically. Jangaag, the Music Management Bureau, was the only official institution
mandated to teach music and dance. The Jangaag was the official body that oversaw the
preservation of cultural music through the 500-year period of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea.
Following Japan’s increasing influence on Korea and the signing of the Japan/Korea Protectorate
Treaty, teaching activities of the Jangaag significantly reduced the number of students learning
music from 772 to 57 between 1879 and 1915. In the same period, Korean cultural music, Aak
50
and Jeongak, became virtually extinct. The Japanese increased support for the Leewanggik (new
name for Jangaag) but with strict conditions that its musicians performed the Japanese national
anthem on radio broadcasts and at Japanese military hospitals and in the celebration of Japanese
The Japanese, in conjunction with the Korean Education Department, introduced formal
music education in schools in 1906. Some of the changes to the curriculum were so radical,
especially the recognition of Japanese as the national language and Korean as a second language.
All music-related teaching resources ranging from textbooks to curricula were borrowed from
Japanese curricula. Songs and melodies used in the official music textbooks were also composed
by Japanese musicians or borrowed from western concepts. For example, Japanese-style musical
components such as duple/quadruple and syncopated rhythm were added to the musical
curriculum. The songs and melodies were new to Koreans and appealed to a Korean audience.
The Japanese Residency General, who controlled and monitored education and curriculum,
purposefully designed the programs to promote westernized Japanese culture at the detriment of
Korean traditional music principles. Japan’s Governor General in Korea intended that the
changes would transform Koreans into Japanese citizens by eroding all cultural identities of the
Koreans, particularly music and language. For instance, teaching of Japanese language took 38%
of weekly teaching hours compared to 21% of Korean and Chinese languages. Teaching hours
for Korean traditional music lessons took only 3 hours each week compared to 12 hours Japanese
Despite forceful changes in the standard music curriculum to promote Japanese music
and melodies, Koreans had two other types of private schools – patriotic schools funded by
Korean citizens and Christian schools funded by foreign missionaries. These schools presented
51
an opportunity for Koreans to learn traditional Korean music and dance. However, in 1908, the
Japanese Residency General passed the Private School Regulation Act to address the challenge
posed by the private schools of creating patriotic Koreans instead of the colonial goal of
championing Japanese cultural practices. The regulation included banning the receipt of financial
assistance by schools from wealthy donors. This financially crippled many private schools. In
addition, the regulation enforced the use of textbooks approved by the Japanese colonial masters,
effectively denying Korean teachers a significant part of their teaching material. The result was a
sharp decline of private schools from 3,000 in 1909 to 1,000 in 1912 and to 609 in 1919 (Son 12).
The Japanese colonial occupiers of Korea also used education policies to reduce the
awareness, knowledge and transmission of Korean cultural music. The aim was to reduce the
popularity of cultural music. This significantly contributed to the decline of Pansori during the
era of declination in the early to mid-20th century. During the colonial era, Japanese passed
education policies with varying degrees of impact on music education and curriculum. There are
four major Japanese education policies: the first from 1910-1919, the second from 1922-1938,
The First Education Policy of 1910 to 1919 did not recognize the importance of music in
school. Music was not a compulsory subject and students could elect to attend music or
gymnastic classes. There was only one official music book published for all school levels –
Changga. Changga lacked proper academic definition but many government education officials
regard it as a musical genre. It consisted of a variety of musical types – church music, lyrical
music, marital arts music and school music. Originally, the word Changga referred to a genre of
Korean music or literature but its application in music education had no mention or inclusion of
52
Korean cultural music. In fact, in music education, the word Changga had no connection to
Korean cultural music or literature. Students were encouraged to read and practice the songs and
tunes in the Changga book both at school and at home. The purpose was to cultivate Japanese
culture in primary school children as well as to popularize the culture to the entire Korean
population. The Changga book had 27 songs identical to the ones taught in Japanese schools.
The songs communicated various lessons or promoted ethical values – encouraged students to
study and forming good relationships with friends, teachers and parents. Of the 27 songs, 26 had
westernized musical concepts such as beats and tones that Japan had borrowed from western
countries. Today, students at churches and schools in Korea continue to sing seven of the 27
The Second Education Policy of 1922 to 1938 was motivated with cultural interests. The
policy directed that the aim of teaching Changga was to open children’s minds and make them
receptive to Japanese culture (90-91). According to this policy, Changga should be sung in
unison and Japanese National Anthem should be part of music education. The Japanese National
Anthem should also be sung at all special national ceremonies. Nine music books were published
during this policy, one in the 1920s and eight in the 1930s. The nine books increased content on
the westernized Japanese concept of music, lyrics and musical components. For example, the
revised books contained 27 Japanese lyrics compared to only three Korean lyrics (Tokita and
Hughes 5-7).
The Third Education Policy of 1938 to 1941 gave a greater emphasis to militaristic
education. During this period, Japan’s main intention was mobilizing the Korean people for the
impending war between Japan and China (Seth 294). Music curricula and content changed
drastically. Music was no longer about cultural values but preparing Korean children and people
53
for war. The Governor General and the Education Department had to approve all music
textbooks. The approval intended to censor part of the textbooks or prohibited their use in
schools altogether that contained Korean cultural values that would discourage Korean’s from
participating in the war. The censorship and ban on Korean cultural values, including performing
arts, disrupted the teaching, learning and transmission of Pansori (Kim 108).
The Fourth Education Policy of 1941 to 1945 also had a strong military bearing. The
revised music curriculum introduced and greatly emphasized listening skills. The need to
develop listening skills was informed by the Japanese Navy. The aim was to develop listening
skills of Koreans, not for participation in cultural music performances like Pansori, but to be
able to distinguish Chinese from Japanese planes based on their engine sounds. All music books
and lessons involved Japanese military might and praise to the Japanese Emperor. There was
As these education policies demonstrate, the Japanese colonial occupation of Korea had a
significant effect of reducing the popularity of Pansori. This effect persists to the present day.
The Japanese colonial masters removed all references to Koran musical culture in music
education and instead introduced Japanese culture, which had aspects of westernized music
components. The colonial era effectively denied Koreans knowledge of their cultural identity
through music. It also gave a greater emphasis to singing in unison while disregarding listening
and audience participation skills. The latter skills are an integral part of Pansori. As such, the
which affected its transmission from one generation to the next. Today, most Koreans do not
understand the meaning and importance of Pansori because all transmission channels –
54
education, Pansori master singers and ceremonies – were transformed as transmission channels
3.2.4 Globalization
Since the second half of the 20th century, globalization has had a significant impact on
Korean traditional performing arts. The impact is most noticeable in the decline of the popularity
of Pansori. Globalization has achieved this impact because it has enhanced the pace with which
the Korean culture has assimilated western-style musical concepts into its own traditional
performing arts. In an article, “What is the “K” in k-pop south Korean popular music, the culture
industry, and national identity,” John Lie indicates globalization has increasingly made Koreans
aware of foreign culture, especially western culture (1-2). This awareness has influenced the
assimilation of components of western culture into Korean music. The growth and the popularity
of the contemporary Korean popular music (K-pop) attests to the growing influence of western
culture in Korea in the 21st century. K-pop is an offshoot of American popular music. K-pop has
culture of materialism. A greater number of Korean youths who engage in performing arts aim to
earn income rather than to teach moral lessons or to unify communities, as was the case with the
original Pansori.
contends globalization has had a significant impact on Pansori. In the 1980s, music in Korea
occupied a central role in driving communal activities and national development agendas. The
government support of Pansori during this time allowed for annual performances in order to
encourage Korean culture and to reduce the influx of foreign performances. However, the rapid
growth of globalization in the early 21st century brought with it foreign musical concepts that
55
aligned well with the entertainment needs of the youthful Korean population. American
commercialized mass music, spread through CDs and DVDs, gained popularity and became the
most favored and widespread form of music in Korea as well as in the other parts of the globe.
This western influence on pop culture in Korea has contributed to the declining
popularity of Pansori. In a study of the rise of K-pop in Asia, Doobo Shim defines popular
culture as mass culture, which consists of image, the media consumer and mass consumption
cultures (25). The pop culture in Korea is the result of globalization, transnationalism and
migration. Whereas the Korean government makes effort to preserve, popularize and globalize
Pansori as a unifying Korean national cultural heritage, the Korean popular cultural content is
gaining immense popularity in Korea and in East and South East Asian Countries, effectively
obscuring the efforts to preserve Pansori. Unlike Pansori, Korean popular culture uses modern
and convenient transmission channels such as television dramas, movies, songs and media
celebrities.
Doobo Shim goes on to write that in the 1990s, Korea had no pop music (25). Still, young
Koreans preferred American music to local traditional music such as Pansori and changgeuk.
Live Pansori concerts were few and had a small following, mainly comprised of older Koreans.
At the time, the Korean Broadcasting Station was the main source of music for young people.
The station controlled music consumption. It played American music and weekly top ten songs
to increase awareness and appeal of American music. The 1988 lifting of the foreign travel ban
in Korea increased the country’s exposure to foreign music. A sharp rise in disposable incomes
in the 1990s saw more Koreans purchase satellite dishes to access foreign programs. Koreans
had a better grasp of the tunes and trends of foreign music. The demand for local music based on
56
western models began. Young people began to appropriate western music styles, concepts and
trends into Korean local tunes, marking the beginning of Korean pop culture (Doobo 35-36).
In the mid-1990s, a regional television channel, Channel V, began airing Korean pop
music videos. The channel got a huge following and fan-base. The boy band H.O.T had a
particularly religious following, so much so that even after the band’s collapse they continued
selling thousands of CDs. In fact, Doobo Shim observes the rising popularity of pop music has
usurped many traditional roles of Pansori, effectively reducing its demand among the youth (31).
In the past, renowned Pansori performers were regarded as cultural icons and ambassadors.
Today, Korean pop stars are cultural icons. For instance, in 2001, Ahn Jae-wook, a renowned
pop icon, had a religious following and huge popularity. His fans copied his behavior: method of
dressing, his cars and other fashionable qualities. In a “Meet Ahn Jae-wook camp” weekend in
2001 in Seoul, thousands of Korean youths came. They were willing to pay $465 to attend the
camp, which was above the monthly salary of an average Korean. Korean pop music and videos
have had an impact on tourism. In 2003, over 130,000 tourists visited Korea to see the filming
locations of various music and video popular television programs. The Korean pop culture has
also improved Korea’s foreign relations with neighboring Vietnam and Taiwan through
exporting music with renowned Korean music and movie stars such as Lee Young-ae, Song Hae
Gyo, Kim Hee Sun and Jeon Ji-hyun. These figures are regarded as national heroes in Vietnam, a
country which has had diplomatic friction with Korea for decades. These examples demonstrate
that the rising Korean pop culture promotes consumerism, image and mass consumption that are
alien to Pansori and further pushes Pansori to the periphery of Korean entertainment (29).
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3.3 Shorter Period of Learning Pansori
The final factor in the decline of Pansori is the shortened timeframe for learning the craft.
In the traditional teaching methods, learning Pansori took several years. A traditional learning
method, mountain study (san gongbu) was physically demanding, and involved sequestering
oneself for 100 days on a mountain top or waterfall to practice vocal sounds. To become an
accomplished Pansori singer, the practice of sequestering was repeated numerous times. This
training was meant to develop physical resiliency for the three to eight hour Pansori performance.
It was also meant to develop vocal competence in terms of distinguishing the five tones of
Pansori, manipulate the six pitches of Pansori and sing by means of vocalization from the body
(deugeum). It takes several years for one to achieve deugeum. Mountain study involved aspiring
Pansori performers to learn in the serene and secluded mountain environment to develop
listening and vocal skills for months or years. Today, the time to learn Pansori has been reduced
to a few months in a classroom setting. This short period is inadequate to produce a professional
Pansori performer competent in the production of variety of tonal or vocal performance. The
reduced professionalism influences performance and the ability of the singer to modify the
traditional pieces of Pansori or to read the mood of the audience or the happenings in the society
to ensure the song is relevant in the modern context (Korean Republic 23).
Another factor affecting the learning and subsequently the popularity of Pansori is the
audience. The “gwi-myeongchang” professional listeners or critics who traditionally formed part
of the audience of a Pansori performance have largely disappeared. Pansori lovers such as
students, singers, devotees and cultural tourists have replaced them. This new audience does not
provide the criticism that the traditional Pansori masters used to receive, which informed
corrective interventions to better their performance. The new audience also does not encourage
58
singers through chimusae; instead, they are passive listeners who do not encourage or provide
the much-needed sounds to enhance the entertainment provided by Pansori. The original Pansori
was an artistic art relying on vocal prowess of the singer. As such, singers required a degree of
expert knowledge as well as constructive criticism from experts in the audience to promote and
The numbers of Pansori singers and performances have declined from the numbers in the
19th century for three main reasons. The first reason is the inadequacies of government methods
of preserving Pansori. The Korean government uses two methods to preserve Pansori: to
preserve the original form of Pansori (orthodox Pansori) through the KCCP law and promoting
a new form of Pansori (experimental Pansori) which assimilates concepts of western culture.
Preserving the original form of Pansori stifles creativity since it emphasizes on re-creation of the
original form of Pansori while the promoting a new form of Pansori does not promote the
traditions of Pansori. The second reason is the introduction of western culture in Korea through
military band music, Christian Protestant Music and Japanese colonial occupation of Korea.
Concepts of western music assimilated into Pansori differ from its original conventions. The
third reason is reduced period of learning, which has affected the quality and professionalism of
Pansori performance.
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Chapter 4: Why Pansori is Important to Preserve
This chapter discusses the importance of Pansori as a significant cultural heritage to the
modern Korean and highlights the need to preserve and to promote Pansori. The chapter draws
from the 2007 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) study by
John Gordon and Helen Beilby-Orrin to situate the importance of Pansori in modern Korea. The
OECD study articulates the importance of culture to the economy and to the social welfare of a
country and the world to underpin the need for its preservation. It also acknowledges the
importance of rigorous quantitative economic measures such as the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) to assess a country’s economic performance and to measure the level of wellbeing of its
citizens. The OECD study also underscores the importance of culture, espousing it goes beyond
The OECD study defines culture as, “what is learned as a child, and as children we
learned from those around us a particular set of rules, beliefs, priorities and expectations that
molded our world into a meaningful whole” (7). This chapter uses the OECD framework of
measuring the importance of cultural heritage. The framework consists of eight important
segments of culture: social, artistic, technological, scientific, political, religious, educational, and
economic. However, of a greater importance and special interest in this chapter is the discussion
of artistic culture because of the ability of art to reflect a society and its historical development.
In addition, this reflection enables us to understand the past (history in museums) and the future
(in science fiction) as well as the present (in documentaries) (Gordon and Beilby-Orrin 7). This
reflective ability of artistic cultures contributes to the current Korean government policy on the
preservation of intangible arts and cultural heritage as important in the social and economic
wellbeing of Koreans. One of the most important cultural artifacts in Korea is Pansori. The
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chapter discusses the economic, social and cultural importance of Pansori as an “Intangible
economics, national unity, cultural inheritance, and to tourism and foreign relations.
4.1.1 Economics
The OECD defines cultural industries as those producing tangible and intangible artistic
and creative output with a potential for wealth creation and income generation through the
exploitation of cultural assets to create either traditional or contemporary goods and services
(Gordon and Beilby-Orrin 7). Pansori falls into this definition because, according to the Korean
Cultural Property Protection (KCPP) Law of 1962, Pansori is an “Intangible Cultural Heritage”
and a symbol of national culture of the Korean people (Yang 89). Pansori draws from Korean
traditional music and folk tales, and currently, from western artistic forms.
The preservation of Pansori is important for the development of the Korean economy
because it is a major source of livelihood for many Koreans. According to UNESCO Bangkok,
artistic culture is a potential source of income for many because it does not discriminate against
the illiterate (111). Pansori, as an art, does not require formal education for one to become
prolific. All an individual requires is interest, patience and practice to learn Pansori. Many sori
festivals held both at local and international venues are paid performances. Renowned Pansori
singers, such as Isang Yun, earn income from invitations to perform or to lecture students of
Pansori and other traditional Korean cultural forms. In addition, the Korean government’s
policies and initiatives to promote and to preserve Pansori have influenced the development of
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In 2013, the number of professional Pansori practitioners produced by the Korean
government educational framework reached 4,000. All these professionals earn a living through
teaching, instructing and organizing Pansori festivals (Baku Azerbaijan 2-3). In 2012, there were
23 university programs teaching and mentoring aspiring Pansori performers. These students
present a number of Koreans students who will earn a living in future from performing in
Pansori concerts or from teaching Pansori (Baku Azerbaijan 23). The Korean government’s
policy on the preservation of Pansori has also led to the formation of a number of governmental
agencies such as the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea (CHA), the Korean Association
for the Preservation of Pansori (KAPP), the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing
Arts (NCKTPA) and the Cultural Industry Bureau (CIB) within the Ministry of Culture and
Sports. All these public agencies provide both direct and indirect incomes to Koreans. Direct
income is in the form of salaries and indirect income is in the form of payment for event
organizers of sori music-festival events. However, these government agencies have not
quantified the exact numbers regarding the incomes Koreans earn from them. Through the
preservation and promotion of Pansori, these public agencies provide a source of livelihood for
Pansori also earns income for Korea through tourism. Since its proclamation as an
“Intangible Cultural Heritage” by UNESCO in 2003, Pansori has become one of the main
attraction for cultural tourism in Korea. Pansori earns income from tourism through
performances in international sori festivals and through Pansori museums. Special Pansori tour
performances overseas and across Korea are usually organized by four resident companies: the
National Drama Company (NDC), the National Changgeuk Company (NCC), the National
Dance Company (NDC), and the National Traditional Music Orchestra (NTMO). The four
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companies provide a source of income for employees and Pansori performers as well as earns
foreign income for Korea. Pansori museums such as the Gochang Pansori Museum in Jeollabuk-
do province, South Korea provide incomes for employees, tour firms, and associated businesses
such as airlines. The Gochang Pansori Museum charges tourists between one to five dollars in
U.S. currency as entry or participation fee. Thousands of tourists visit Pansori museums annually
(Facts about Korea 56). The exact money Koreans earn from tourism through Pansori has not yet
been documented.
The Korean Cultural Property Protection (KCPP) Law of 1962 designates Pansori as a
symbol of national culture and unity (Yang 89). In 2000, a conference on cultural tourism in
Cambodia recognized the importance of Pansori as a symbol of Korean cultural heritage tour in
stimulating the national pride of the Korean people. Through local tourism, Pansori enhances
the sub-cultures, which is helpful to ensure peaceful co-existence (Baku Azerbaijan 3). In
addition, a Pansori performance provides the opportunity for the local Korean people to interact,
to share experiences and to learn from one another about their culture. Pansori captures the day-
to-day activities of the Korean people and the three to nine hour duration provides many
opportunities for interaction between members of different Korean sub-cultures, age groups and
socio-economic classes (Suhr 29). The interaction of Korean people of different classes and their
understanding of different Korean subcultures, promotes tolerance and appreciation of each other,
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4.1.3 Cultural Inheritance
Cultural inheritance is the transmission of cultural values and practices from older to
has been transmitted for several generations since its inception in the 18th Century. The
persistence of Pansori over the past three centuries is an indication that it is a significant
transmission channel of Korean culture. Pansori helps to transmit cultural values and activities
since its performance encompasses cultural practices such as singing and folk tales about culture
and the way of life of the traditional Korean community. In pre-modern Korea, a lower class of
traditional folk entertainers (gwangdae) transmitted Pansori among the common people. The
gwangdae moved from one town to another in search of audience to performing Pansori. During
the Japanese colonial era, gwangdae included amateur performers who attended Pansori in
education courses offered by public institutions and private institutes. These amateurs also serve
In the modern era, a wide variety of Koreans ranging from professionals to general
devotees learn Pansori. Aspiring Pansori singers study Pansori using both the traditional
gwangdae style and taking formal courses in institutions of higher learning. National and
regional bodies such as the National Center for Korean Folk Performing Arts and the Jeollanam-
do Provincial Institute for Training Korean Performing Arts also offer courses that promote the
preservation of Pansori among Pansori enthusiasts. The Government also promotes the
and rewarding renowned performers. The identified modern masters of Pansori include Park
Song-hee, Sung Chang-soon, Song Sun-seop, Seong Woo-hyang and the percussionist Jung
Chul-ho. These masters are a mixture of those who learnt Pansori the traditional way through
64
gujeonsimsu – a teaching method that relies on oral transmission and practice as a natural part of
daily life popular during the Japanese colonial era – or professional performing artists who
acquired the skills through the school education system following Korea’s independence from
Japanese rule. These masters, like in the ancient times, have the responsibility of transmitting the
Despite the modern approaches to teaching Pansori, the traditional way of teaching is
still in use. Each of the modern masters of Pansori manages a heritage center or a similar
establishment. They teach and transmit Pansori using the traditional gujeonsimsu (Baku
Azerbaijan 21). Secondary and higher educational institutions still use the traditional
gujeonsimsu mode of teaching, strongly demonstrating that the traditional teaching ways are
important in transmitting cultural values and activities across generations. In many cases,
preservation societies, and often serve as lecturers. In these organizations, the younger
generation mostly partakes by learning traditional music, but often also takes a leading role in
Pansori-related activities including performance. The Korean National Research Institute for the
Gifted in Arts of the Korea National University of Arts in collaboration with the Ministry of
Culture, Sports and Tourism has programs that identify potential master Pansori performers and
future teachers. These programs aim to ensure sustainable teaching and the transmission of
Pansori assists in the transmission of cultural values and heritage because some of
ancient Pansori songs are still being sung in the present day to entertain people and to remind
them of the activities that their ancestors used to do as a culture practice (Suhr 21-29). Today,
most Pansori performances begin with long lecture about the history and importance of Pansori.
65
Educational institutional also teach the cultural history of Korean through Pansori, making
Pansori relevant today as a channel for cultural transmission and inheritance. This is important
since when the current young generation is allowed to perform Pansori songs in school it equips
them with the knowledge of their culture irrespective of other foreign cultures that may intrude
(UNESCO 1). In addition, a series of Pansori concerts have focused on celebrating Pansori as an
“Intangible Cultural Heritage” that elicit enthusiastic responses from the audience. The response
indicates a growing awareness and support of Pansori. In sum, Pansori plays a vital role in the
transmission of traditional Korean cultural values from one generation to another. Using both
traditional and modern teaching methods, Pansori provides the channels and teaching
approaches that could be transferred to teaching and transmitting other Korean cultural practices.
With the reincarnation of Pansori, the government and cultural enthusiasts could use Pansori
performance spaces and venues to advocate for the preservation of other cultural values and
practices.
4.2.1 Development
development of cultural tourism. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC),
tourism is an important growth sector for the economy of Korea. In 2013, the contribution of
travel and tourism in Korea was 5.8% of the GDP. The WTTC projects tourism in Korea will
rise by an average of 2.9% annually in the next 10 years. The sector supports 1,582,500 jobs (6.3%
of the total employment in Korea), generated 2.9% of total exports and accounts for 2.3% of the
total investment in the country (WTTC 1). The WTTC ranks Korea as 18th out of 184 countries
globally in relative importance of travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP (WTTC 1-2).
66
These statistics demonstrate the economic importance of tourism in Korea. However, revenues
from traditional tourist attraction sites and destinations such as parks, flora and fauna, and
unspoiled nature have not been improving. The main Korean tourist attractions are traditional
performing arts, historic places and architectural buildings. As an “Intangible Cultural Heritage”,
The contribution of Pansori to tourism is both direct and indirect. Direct contribution is
through museums, cultural heritage sites and local and international cultural (sori) music
festivals. One significant direct Pansori contribution to tourism is the Gochang Pansori Museum
in Gochang, South Korea. The museum is one of the top ten cultural museums and attracts
thousands of tourists to Korea each year. Opened in 2001, the museum honors great Pansori
singers and provides Pansori performances for visiting tourists. The museum has over 1,000
songs of Pansori and lists of great singers on display (Santa Fe Korea 6). Pansori also
contributes directly to tourism through holding international sori music festivals annually in
Seoul and in other cultural sites. These festivals are attended by foreign cultural music students
and tourists. Famous festivals include the Jeonju international sori festivals and National Theatre
Pansori Festivals held between August and October each year in Korea (Broughton Simon 48).
Besides local performances, Pansori festivals organized in foreign cities in the U.S. and
in Europe is another effective approach of tourism marketing. Each year in New York, the Asian
Society organizes the Korean Music Festival, which includes Pansori performances. One of the
key aims of the Korean Music Festival is to create an awareness of the rich culture of Korea and
to encourage the audience to visit Korea as a rising cultural tourist destination (Lim Hyeun-bin
2). In Europe, there are Pansori academies, such as the Pansori Sound Institute in the
Netherlands, where European students can learn about Pansori. Most of the students, both
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Koreans and Europeans, in these academies practice through competition. A recent competition
was in held in Paris, France at the 2014 Nante Festival. In the festival, Kim Kyung Sang, a
Pansori performer fused Pansori tunes with Jazz tunes to create a new form of Pansori. This
new form appeals to both Europeans and Koreans in Europe indicated by the 150,000 people the
festival attracted (Jacqueline Karp 1). Another Pansori performer, Ninano Nanda, fuses the
traditional Korean vocal art form with modern improvised electronic sounds to communicate
Pansori also promotes tourism indirectly; mostly through the contemporary Korean
popular culture, especially pop music and movies (Doobo 31). Pansori played an instrumental
role in the awakening and the sustenance of the current Korean film culture. In 1993, there was
very little hope for the revival of the Korean cultural film industry. However, a Korean local
movie Sopyonje, had unexpected box office success. It was the first Korean movie to reach a
viewership of more than one million. The movie was successfully screened in the U.S., Europe
and Japan. The main theme of the movie was the tribulations of a family that earned a living
performing Pansori. It depicted the declining popularity of Pansori as traditional performing art
and, therefore, as a source of livelihood. Set in a beautiful rural Korean landscape, the movie
stirred public interest in culture and its preservation, as the starving family symbolized the fate of
Pansori and other Korean cultural practices as a source of livelihood (Doobo 31-32).
The success of Sopyonje, a Pansori themed movie, awakened the government and Korean
people to the potential of the cultural industry in contributing to economic development. Today,
the film industry uses Pansori tunes or stories as well as and other cultural practices and rural
landscape to appeal to an increasing foreign audience. These movies have attracted a large
number of tourists who come to see the venues of the films, which include Pansori performances,
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museums and rural landscapes. In fact in 2003, 130,000 tourists from China, Taiwan, Malaysia
and Singapore visited Korea to see Pansori performances and rural landscapes after seeing their
beauty in movies and music videos (Doobo 29-30). Whereas the contribution of Pansori to
tourism is evident, the Korean government has done little to quantify its contribution to the
economy in general and to the tourism sector in particular. Such quantification could go a long
way to popularize and preserve Pansori, not only as a cultural heritage but also as a significant
The role of Pansori in promoting social cohesion is visible in the improved relationship
between Korea and its neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan. In previous
decades, Korea had strained diplomatic relationships with these countries. This is because
Koreans fought against Vietnam’s Liberation Army during the Vietnam War (1955-1975),
severed its relationship with Taiwan and established a new one with China (Beijing) in 1992, and
suffered from the colonial occupation of Japan between 1910 and 1945. Today, Pansori reaches
these countries through international festivals and lectures on the need to preserve cultural
heritage. Famous Pansori singers such as Isang Yun have had a tremendous following and
recognition in Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan and are recognized as national heroes. Famous
Korean Pansori singers and teachers have been invited in several conferences in the neighboring
result is an improved and more cordial foreign relationship with Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan
(Doobo 30-31).
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4.3 Chapter Summary
Culture is important for promoting economic and social welfare of a country. Culture
produces tangible and intangible artistic and creative outputs with a potential for wealth creation.
tourism and foreign relations. Preserving Pansori promotes Koreans’ economic welfare, national
unity and cultural inheritance. Pansori is a source of livelihood for singers and scholars through
paid performances and lectures. Government agencies tasked with preserving and promoting
Pansori also provide employment to many Koreans. Pansori also promotes national unity. It
enhances Koreans understanding of their different sub-cultures, and the appreciation and
for Koreans of different age groups, socio-economic classes and sub-cultures to interact, share
experiences and learn from one another as audience. Pansori also promotes cultural inheritance.
Through learning and performing Pansori, singers, professionals and devotees learn about
heritage and rewarding renowned performers also facilitates the transmission of traditions of
Pansori. Pansori also promotes tourism and improves foreign relations. Pansori contributes to
cultural tourism through performances in local and international cultural music festivals, Pansori
museums and as a theme in Korean film culture. Finally, Pansori singers and scholars have
performed and lectured in many conferences in Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan. Their popularity in
these countries has ensured an improved and more cordial foreign relationship.
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Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations
contends that culture is fast becoming the fuel that drives the contemporary creative arts industry
as well as the socio-economic development of countries across the globe. The Korean
demonstrated by the enactment of the Korean Cultural Property Protection Law (KCPP) of 1962.
The KCPP recognizes Pansori as the quintessential Korean “Intangible Cultural Heritage” and a
symbol of national culture. The aim of this study was to explore Pansori in order to understand
its history, its importance to the traditional Korean culture and society, the reasons for its
declining popularity, and the reasons for preserving and promoting its use in the modern Korean
society. The study’s methodology combined historical research, interviews and personal
Pansori is a traditional Korean performing art involving a singer telling a themed story
using sung and spoken words accompanied by drumbeats and shouts of encouragement from the
audience. Pansori began during the Joseon Dynasty between 1392 and 1910, and developed in
four eras: the era of escalation (18th century), affluence (19th century), declination (early 20th
century) and reincarnation (late 20th century). During the era of escalation, 12 specialized fields
of Pansori were developed but only five (Chunhyangga, Simcheongga, Heungboga, Sugungga,
and Jeokbyeokga) were transmitted orally to the present day. The Confucian ruling class deemed
the other seven pieces vulgar and inappropriate, and prevented their transmission.
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As a traditional performing art, Pansori was important to traditional Korean culture to
teach moral lessons, preserve cultural values, promote community cohesion and entertain
Koreans. Each of the five specialized fields of Pansori taught Koreans a moral lesson founded on
the Confucian teachings. Chunhyangga taught about fidelity of a wife to her husband,
Simcheongga about filial love and piety, Heungboga about brotherhood and bad materialism
from human’s greediness of fortune, Jeokbyeokga about sincerity to friends, and Sugungga about
loyalty to the king. Pansori also promotes the preservation of cultural values. Pansori has been
passed down from one generation to the next since the 17th century. It has been used as an
important transmission channel for passing Korean cultural values across generations. Pansori
also promotes community cohesion through providing its audience from different Korean sub-
cultures, religious affiliations and socio-economic classes the opportunity to interact and to learn
from each other. Pansori also played a role in galvanizing the Korean community against
Japanese colonial occupation. Finally, Pansori is a form of cultural entertainment for Koreans
The popularity of Pansori began to decline in the early 20th century because of
inadequate government preservation policies, the influence of western culture and the lack of
correct instructions in Pansori teaching. The Korean government’s preservation policies focus on
two approaches. The first approach simply preserves the original form of Pansori irrespective of
the changing entertainment needs of Korean people. The second approach focuses on promoting
the new form of Pansori, which assimilates some concepts from western cultures that differ from
the true conventions of Pansori. The introduction of the western culture in Korea influenced
significant changes in Pansori performances. Western influences came through military band
music, Christian Protestant music, the Japanese colonial occupation of Korea, and globalization.
72
Today, Pansori has assimilated western performance concepts, such as opera, that differ from the
conventions of the original Pansori. Finally, the period of learning Pansori has been reduced
from several years to a few months, which has affected the quality and professionalism of
performance.
national unity and cultural inheritance, and also to tourism and foreign relations. For Koreans,
Pansori provides a source of livelihood for singers and scholars through paid performance and
lectures in educational institutions and conferences. Government agencies tasked with promoting
Pansori are also a source of employment for many Koreans. Pansori enhances audience
existence. Through learning and performing Pansori, singers, professionals and devotees learn
about Korean traditional culture to facilitate the transmission of Korean traditional cultural
values. Pansori performances in local and international music festivals, Pansori museums, and
Pansori themes in Korean films promote cultural tourism. The popularity of Korean Pansori
singers and scholars performing and lecturing in conferences in Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan have
ensured an improved and more cordial foreign relationship. Pansori academies in Europe also
teach some European students Pansori who participate in competitions, which is another way
Pansori. Most of the literature on Pansori is not recent, that is, many studies of Pansori were
published more than 10 years ago, and examine Pansori in its ancient form. This undermined the
determination of the current situation and popularity of Pansori, which would have demonstrated
73
whether the current efforts to preserve Pansori have been successful or not. In addition, a
majority of the recent studies examines the Korean cultural practices in general with only a
Another limitation was the lack of empirical researches on Pansori, especially its social
and economic contribution to the present-day Korea. Most of the recent literature on Pansori is
qualitative, either phenomenological or case study research, that aims to understand Pansori
performances as an artistic and creative cultural performing arts, its importance to traditional
Korean culture or the need to preserve Pansori for the future generation. The lack of empirical
findings hampered the accurate determination of the contribution of Pansori to the economic
development of Korea, especially in terms of its contribution to income and foreign exchange
earnings from tourism, and its contribution as a significant source of employment and income to
Koreans.
5.4 Recommendations
“Intangible Cultural Heritage” and a symbol of national culture. Under the KCPP, the
government efforts largely focus on preserving the original form of Pansori, which undermines
the conventions of the original Pansori. The original Pansori Performances were not static but
gradually developed over time as the cultural practices changed. The KCPP should be reviewed
to allow deoneum (modification) of the themed stories of Pansori. The modification will inspire
creativity, reflect the current societal leisure and entertainment needs of younger Koreans and
attract a larger audience. Attracting Korean youths is important since they are the key to its
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The current efforts by the Korean Government take two distinct approaches. The first
approach is to preserve the original Pansori (orthodox Pansori) and the second is to encourage
creativity (experimental Pansori). It is not necessary for the Government to pursue the two
approaches independently. Instead, the government should integrate the two to gain the synergy
between preservation and promotion of creativity to achieve new forms of themed stories
relevant to the contemporary Korean community. This is important since the current successful
and widespread Korean pop culture is a creative assimilation of some desirable western artistic
elements into Korean traditional practices. In addition, large audiences attending Korean popular
music suggests assimilating desirable aspects of other cultures will improve and market Pansori
Finally, the current government support for preserving Pansori depends on anecdotal and
subjective findings. This approach should be reviewed by providing the Korean people with
empirical findings on the individual contribution of Pansori to the economy and to the social
wellbeing of Koreans. The Korean government should provide statistics showing the
contribution of Pansori in the annual country statistics on tourism and employment. Providing
objective statistical support of Pansori to tourism and employment will demonstrate to the
Korean people the importance of Pansori as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage” in improving their
75
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Date: April 2016
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Department of Theatre College of Fine Arts The Graduate College, May 2016
Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration, May 2012
College of Southern Nevada
Science in Hospitality, Summer 2008 to Fall 2009
Kyunbok University, Pochen-city. Kyeonggi-do, South Korea
Accociate degree of Tourism February 14, 2007
HONORS
Golden Key Member for international students from High GPA 2010 to Current
Selected as a participant for the “Learning English Culture” event held in the Philippines 2006
Recipient of the Kyungbok College scholarship for high-performing students 2005
LANGUAGE SKILLS
Fluent in Korean and English
81