Namwon, long regarded as the heartland of gugak, has a new pansori master.
Park Su-hyun, 41, a member of the Jeonbuk Provincial Gugak Center, claimed the top honor—the President’s Award—in the master vocalists division at the 53rd Korea Chunhyang Gugak Competition.
The contest took place May 2–3 at Namwon Arts Center and the Chunhyang Culture & Arts Center. Park performed the "Chuwolmanjeong" passage from the pansori Simcheongga and earned a total score of 491.3 from the judges.
"Chuwolmanjeong" depicts Sim Bong-sa on the road to the Hwangseong blind beggars’ feast, singing his longing for his daughter Simcheong—a moment that mixes profound sorrow with wry humor. Park delivered both the tragic and comic strands with control and nuance, drawing praise for the emotional depth and technical polish of her performance.
Chief judge Choi Dong-hyun said, "Park not only absorbed the tragic and comic elements with skill, she also demonstrated the vocal strength that signals real depth."
The win came on her third attempt. After taking an excellence award at the 51st competition, Park continued to refine her craft until she reached the top.
Her achievement rests on intense preparation, including training for five-hour complete performances. Since 2020, she has honed her endurance and stage presence through Sabaekyeonga transmission recitals and appearances at the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts—experience that paid dividends at this contest.
Park began studying pansori at age 10. She graduated from Namwon Traditional Arts High School and the Department of Korean Music at Chonnam National University, and studied under masters Im Hwa-young and Jang Moon-hee.
Her honors include the Grand Prize at the Naju National Gugak Competition, the master vocalists top prize at the Dongcho Kim Yeon-su National Pansori Competition, and recognition at the Jeonju Daesaseup Nori, among others.
The President’s Award carries a cash prize of 50,000,000 KRW (approximately $37,500). The winner’s commemorative performance is scheduled for May 4 at 1:00 p.m. on a special stage at Gwanghallu Garden.
Park said, "I'm overwhelmed to win this major prize on my third try. The five-hour completions, my teachers' guidance, and repeated contest experience made this possible." She added, "I will treat this award as a new beginning: to preserve the depth of tradition while finding ways to connect with broader audiences."
In the pansori master vocalists category, Go Seung-jo won the top excellence award, Yu Tae-gyeom took the excellence award, and Park Seong-woo earned the encouragement prize.
