Namwon City to Hold 'Korea Chunhyang Gugak Competition' in May

Held at Art Center, Sarang Square, and Chunhyang Culture and Arts Center

The 52nd Chunhyang Gugak Competition of Korea (Chairman: Choi Kyungsik, Mayor of Namwon) will be held for four days from May 2 to May 5 at various venues across Namwon, including the Art Center, Sarang Square, and Chunhyang Culture and Arts Center.

According to the city on the 6th, the Chunhyang Gugak Competition is truly a dream event where you can witness the birth of Korea's top masters and virtuosos, as well as a competition that nurtures talented individuals in Korean traditional music.

The 52nd Korea Chunhyang Gugak Competition will be held for four days from May 2 to May 5 at various locations in Namwon City, including the Art Center, Sarang Square, and Chunhyang Culture and Arts Center. Provided by Namwon City

The competition will be held in 13 categories across 5 fields: ▲Pansori (Master Division, General Division, Youth Division for elementary, middle, and high school students, Rookie and Foreign Division) ▲Dance (General Division, Youth Division) ▲Instrumental Wind (General Division, Youth Division) ▲Instrumental String & Byeongchang (General Division, Youth Division) ▲Fusion and Creative Gugak.

This year, in particular, the event aims to transform into a more festival-like and participatory competition that maintains the weight of tradition while engaging a broader audience, by introducing new divisions such as the Rookie Competition and Fusion/Creative Gugak.

The Rookie Competition has significantly lowered the entry barrier to allow more citizens to participate, enabling individuals and groups who are non-majors in Gugak or vocal music, as well as foreigners, to take part.

To further enhance citizen participation, the Rookie Competition will partially adopt on-site audience voting, and the Fusion/Creative Gugak division is planned as a festive event where everyone can enjoy together in a concert-like atmosphere, breaking away from the usual rigid and tense competition format.

Individuals or teams performing fusion or creative Gugak that incorporates traditional elements (rhythm, melody, instruments, vocals, etc.) will be able to participate.

This year's competition especially aims to strengthen the authority, dignity, and fairness of the event while pursuing innovation.

Accordingly, the selection, verification, and management of judges will be more rigorous, and efforts will be made to attract more skilled contestants. The competition, as well as congratulatory performances by award winners, will provide a high-quality stage.

The grand prize winner of the Pansori Master Division will receive the prestigious Presidential Award and a prize of 50 million won, while the grand prize winners in each General Division category will be honored with the Prime Minister's Award, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award, and the Namwon Mayor's Award, among others.

The grand prize winner of the Pansori High School Division will receive the Minister of Education Award, and the grand prize-winning team in the Fusion/Creative Gugak division will be awarded the National Assembly Speaker's Award as the first-ever winners in this field. In addition, various other awards will be presented in multiple categories.

Meanwhile, a congratulatory performance by the grand prize winners of the Pansori Master and General Divisions will be held the day after the competition, on May 6, at the Chunhyang Festival venue, providing an opportunity to communicate with the audience.

Mayor Choi Kyungsik said, "The Chunhyang Gugak Competition of Korea, which boasts the highest prestige, aims to take on an even newer look this year," and added, "There is a saying, 'Don't boast about your singing in Namwon,' but starting this year, I hope everyone will come, proudly showcase your talents, and help create a joyful, festival-like competition through sound and communication together."

Details such as the application schedule for the 52nd Chunhyang Gugak Competition will be announced later this month on the Namwon City website and the Chunhyang Festival Committee website.