Launched in 2004, 20th Anniversary of the "Changsin Festival"
Over 100 Billion Won in Cumulative Sponsorship, 2,071 Performances
2.5 Million Audience Members, 70,000 Stage Participants
"Companies Survive by Learning Art"?Yoon Youngdal’s Spirit o
"The rhythm that pulses on the K-pop stage has its roots in Korean traditional music."
Yoon Youngdal, Chairman of Crown Haitai Confectionery, emphasized this point at the press conference for the 20th anniversary of the Changsin Festival held in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, on the 17th. Chairman Yoon explained, "Western dance does not originally involve jumping. When singer Psy first jumped on stage, he was using the bending and stretching movements of Korean dance, and the vibrancy of K-pop stems from our traditional rhythms." He asserted that the heartbeat of K-pop, which has captivated the world, is driven by the rhythm and breath of Korean traditional music. The recent use of traditional percussion textures in the opening of the Netflix series "K-Pop Demon Hunters" is in line with this perspective.
On the 17th, at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Grand Theater Seolgawon in Seoul, Crown Haitai Confectionery Chairman Yoon Youngdal spoke at the press conference for the 20th Changsin Festival. Provided by Crown Haitai Confectionery.
After the IMF Default, a New Path Found in the Daegeum
Chairman Yoon's "Korean traditional music management" began after the IMF financial crisis, inspired by the sound of the daegeum flute. He recalled, "After the company defaulted, I couldn't even afford hiking clothes and sat on a mountain in a suit. Then, I heard a sound I had never heard before-it was the daegeum." Immediately after descending the mountain, he sought out a master and began learning Korean traditional music.
Chairman Yoon said, "Snacks were ambiguous-were they just treats or real food? I thought that by adding art, I could find a new direction." From that point, he began to integrate art into the language of management. He believed that what mattered more than intelligence quotient (IQ) or emotional quotient (EQ) was the artistic quotient (AQ). Sensitivity toward harmony, balance, and unfamiliar novelty, he argued, is the foundation of corporate resilience. Yoon added, "You cannot truly understand art by simply sponsoring it as a patron. You must learn it yourself and stand on stage to know what is needed."
Crown Haitai's passion for Korean traditional music is the result of Chairman Yoon's unwavering determination. Rather than simple sponsorship, it became a core marketing and sales strategy, and as it evolved into a management philosophy, it became a leading example of "art management." Chairman Yoon has said, "I wanted to repay the love received from customers through art." His philosophy soon became a company principle. Art management aligns with Crown Haitai's core value of "pursuing happiness management together with customers." Yoon remarked, "Making snacks means selling dreams and happiness, and for us, the art that shared those dreams was Korean traditional music." He continued, "Just as I found comfort and inspiration in traditional music during difficult times, I wanted to share true happiness and breathe together with our customers through Korean traditional music."
This resolution took shape in 2004 with the first "Changsin Festival." The intention was to repay customers-who helped rebuild the company after the IMF crisis-through art.
The venue expanded from the National Gugak Center to Seoul Plaza and then to the Grand Theater at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, reaching its 20th anniversary this year. Crown Haitai's cumulative sponsorship for Korean traditional music has exceeded 100 billion won. The company has hosted or sponsored 2,071 events domestically and internationally, with a total audience of 2.5 million and over 70,000 stage participants.
Chairman Yoon stated, "We have built a trust asset that connects not just to performances but to our brand and sales sites." By inviting store owners and VIP customers to performances through the "all-seats invitation" method, the company enhanced on-site execution such as display and promotion priority. Internally, a Korean traditional music club with 250 members was established, institutionalizing practice and performance participation during work hours.
Crown Haitai's sponsorship for Korean traditional music has surpassed a cumulative 100 billion won. The company has hosted or sponsored 2,071 events domestically and internationally, with a total audience of 2.5 million and over 70,000 stage participants. Chairman Yoon emphasized, "This is not just about holding performances; it has built a trust asset that connects directly to our brand and sales operations."
At the 20th Changsin Festival held on the 17th at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Grand Theater in Seoul, employees of Crown Haitai are performing a Sujecheon choral performance. Provided by Crown Haitai Confectionery.
The Secret of 'Honey Butter Chip': The Sensibility of Traditional Rhythms
The "Honey Butter Chip," which swept the nation in 2014, is a symbolic achievement of art management. It broke the convention that "potato chips must be salty," blending sweetness, saltiness, and buttery flavor into a product driven by emotion.
Chairman Yoon said, "I've often been asked why a snack company supports Korean traditional music. To differentiate ourselves from competitors, we had to infuse something uniquely Korean. By exquisitely mixing sweetness, saltiness, and savoriness, we discovered an entirely new sensation." He added, "The secret to the success of 'Honey Butter Chip' lies in its sense of balance and harmony, much like the rhythm of Korean traditional music, and in not fearing new and unfamiliar things. This product was not just a snack, but the result of an experiment in 'preserving the old and creating the new.'"
Chairman Yoon calls the sponsorship of Korean traditional music a "miracle medicine" that saved both the company and himself. This conviction has continued for 22 years, through both crises and booms. Starting with the Changsin Festival, it expanded to include performances by masters and virtuosos, stages for next-generation prodigies, the Rock Eum Korean Traditional Music Orchestra, and the "CH Haneumhoe" touring performances presented by employees to customers nationwide. At the Changsin Festival, employees took center stage in 2012 with the "Chorus of 100" (Pansori Sacheolga), and the Important Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 1, Jongmyo Jerye Ilmu, was authentically reenacted with public participation. Collaborations with flamenco and opera bridged East and West, while attempts at Korean traditional music musicals (Simcheongga, Sugungga) blurred the boundaries between music, song, and dance. In terms of documentation, the company published the "Sujecheon Research Society" booklet to codify tradition. Through active performances and sponsorships, a virtuous cycle was created in which the company, its customers, and the Korean traditional music community all grew together.
Twenty Years Interwoven with 'Sujecheon'
The Changsin Festival, held from the 17th to the 19th at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, was themed around "Sujecheon," the essence of traditional music. Meaning "praying for the longevity of the heavens," Sujecheon originates from the Baekje song "Jeongeupsa" and is considered the pinnacle of court music, performed at royal banquets and ceremonies. For four consecutive years, Crown Haitai has reinterpreted Sujecheon, balancing preservation of its original form with modern variations.
This year's stage opened with a Korean traditional orchestra featuring strings, winds, and percussion, as 100 employees performed a choral arrangement of "Jeongeupsa." The contemporary dance "Gulchulsincheo" visualized the breathing of bending and stretching, while "Chumsawi Sujecheon," which combined Cheoyongmu, Ilmu, and Chunaengjeon, recreated the dignity of the royal court. The performance culminated with employees' Jongmyo Jerye Ilmu, male and female vocal ensemble pieces, and a traditional Sujecheon performance by the Yangju Pungnyu Music Society, composed of master musicians. Chairman Yoon described it as "a comprehensive showcase presenting the origin, present, and future of Sujecheon on a single stage."
Another hallmark of the Changsin Festival is employee participation. The in-house Korean traditional music club now has 250 members, who are supported in practicing and performing during work hours. Employees take the stage as artists, while store owners and customers become both audience and companions. Chairman Yoon noted, "Employees are enjoying themselves as they engage with Korean traditional music, with over 5% of our workforce participating." He added, "When employees experience art, the organization changes-they learn collaboration and communication, and their attitude toward customers transforms as well." Chairman Yoon plans to more than double the scale of nationwide touring performances involving employees in the future.
On the 17th, at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Grand Theater in Seoul, employees of Crown Haitai performed the Jongmyo Jeryeak Jeonpyehuimun ceremony at the 20th Changsin Festival. Provided by Crown Haitai Confectionery.
Discovering Talents and Expanding Generations
The Changsin Festival has expanded its scope from focusing on masters to nurturing the next generation. The final performance featured the "Haneumhoe Changsin Festival Special Performance for Young Talents." In addition, the "Haneumhoe for Young Talents," held every Sunday at the Crown Haitai Hall in Seoul Namsan Gugakdang since 2015, is the only regular Korean traditional music performance for elementary school prodigies in Korea. To date, it has been held 280 times, attracting a cumulative audience of 200,000 and featuring 9,500 young talents. Chairman Yoon stated, "There are now so many teams nationwide that we could have a different team perform each week. By next year, the total will surpass 300 performances." Crown Haitai supports these prodigies with instruments, stage costumes, and practice rooms, along with scholarship programs. Yoon explained, "Many children give up Korean traditional music when transitioning from elementary to middle school, so we have established a stage exclusively for middle school students to provide a ladder for growth."
Crown Haitai's passion for Korean traditional music has not been confined to Korea. The company has organized nationwide tours with employee participation (CH Haneumhoe), documented the original form of Sujecheon (Sujecheon Research Society), and held overseas performances. This year, Chairman Yoon served as co-chairman of the "2025 Yeongdong World Gugak Expo," leading the world's first Korean traditional music expo to success. Alongside masters and virtuosos of the Yangju Pungnyu Music Society, he has continued to stage "Korean Elegance" performances in countries such as Japan, Mongolia, and Germany.
Chairman Yoon emphasized, "Paid admission culture for Korean traditional music performances has yet to take root. For our music to be truly respected, we must foster a culture where people pay even a small fee and enjoy performances with proper etiquette."
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