Master singer. Unlike the Korean dictionary, which defines it as ‘an outstandingly good at singing’ or ‘a person who sings exceptionally well’, the National Gugak Center narrowly defines it as ‘a person who sings well’ among ‘pansori singers,’a person who sings especially well’. The name master singer is that high and important.

Master singer Kim Jeong-min has dedicated his life to the popularization and globalization of pansori in exchange for his blood, sweat, and time, and is still dedicated to it. As a true master singer who has performed a complete pansori piece that takes more than three hours 23 times over the past 10 years from 2013 to 2023, when he released a trot album, and that too twice, not only the gugak world but also the pop music world opened their eyes wide. He is a renowned lecturer who gave lectures titled ‘Don‘t Look Down on Our Voices’ on MBC, KBS, and EBS, and is also the CEO of the cosmetics company Geo&Wiz.

Kim Jung-min was naturally exposed to Korean traditional music from a young age due to the influence of his maternal grandfather, who was a singer. The episode that opened his eyes to Korean traditional music is like a part of pansori. One rainy day, he was lost in the sound of the rain and the gayageum melody resonating in all directions, and he suddenly thought, ‘Ah, I have to go down this path.’ The story of Japanese author Haruki Murakami, who said that while watching a professional baseball game at Meiji Jingu Stadium, the moment the leadoff hitter for Yakult hit a double, he decided to write a novel, comes to mind.



Kim Jung-min, who had been playing pansori and gayageum since the 5th grade of elementary school, was encouraged to major in pansori when he became a high school student by teachers of Gyeonggi folk songs, jeongga, and pansori, saying, “Your voice is good.” Kim Jung-min, who graduated from a traditional Korean music high school and majored in pansori at the Department of Korean Music at Chung-Ang University, studied ‘Heungboga’ and ‘Jeokbyeokga’ from the late master singer Park Song-hee, the holder of National Intangible Cultural Property No. 5 ‘Heungboga’.

Since he began his career in pansori, Kim Jung-min has continuously made various attempts to expand the base of traditional art and publicize its excellence. This is also why he appeared in the 1994 pansori-themed film ‘Hwimori’. This film won Kim Jung-min the Best New Actress Award at the Grand Bell Awards.
Having studied fusion Korean traditional music, folk songs, trot, and pop music, he produced trot albums in 2021 and 2022. The album includes songs such as ‘Many Bibimbap’, ‘The Sky Has Become the Ground’, ‘Knock knock’, ‘Flower rain’, ‘Feast day’.

Kim Jung-min’s art was also recognized overseas. He performed pansori in full in Milan, Rome, Florence, and Venice, Italy, the birthplace and heart of opera, thrilling local media and blue-eyed audiences. This was also the first overseas full-length performance by a Korean. In June 2022, he performed Jeokbyeokga in full at Teatro dal Verme, one of Italy‘s three major theaters, selling out all 1,436 seats. The performance of ‘Pansori 4 Batang 4 Daemok’ held at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris, France was also sold out.

“Even people who didn’t know the lyrics were listening, and I couldn‘t hear a single breath from the audience. After finishing the entire 3-hour performance, there was a standing ovation.”

Kim Jung-min’s dream is to conquer the world with pansori like modern dancer Choi Seung-hee. Choi Seung-hee was a legendary figure who led the modernization of classical dance in the early 20th century, and is considered the first Hallyu star today.
The establishment of KS Credia is along the same lines. The company aims to become a global worldwide content media group by producing a wide range of K-culture IP content encompassing K-pop, dramas, movies, media, and AI.

These days, young gugak musicians are definitely different from their seniors. They are breaking free from the shackles of tradition and taking on new adventures and challenges. As audition broadcast programs gain popularity, young gugak musicians, especially pansori singers, are attracting the public‘s attention with their outstanding skills and unique vocal tones. Fusion gugak bands, represented by ‘Bom Naereonda’ Leenalchi, are also popular.
News about gugak dramas is also being heard. The new tvN weekend drama ‘Jeongnyeon’, which is scheduled to premiere on October 12, is a drama about the growth of Jeongnyeon, a natural vocal genius who challenges herself to become the best national theater actor, set in the 1950s after the Korean War. Popular actress Kim Tae-ri plays Jeongnyeon, who came up from Mokpo to become a national theater actor. Master singer Kim Jung-min, who has been called a genius singer since childhood, may be the ‘original Jeongnyeon’.

Because the tone and singing style of pansori are so unique, the old stereotypes that “pansori singers can’t sing other songs”, “even if they do, they end up singing all songs using pansori techniques” have long since been shattered.

Kim Jung-min said, “If you deepen your pansori, that is, if you reach the realm of acquiring the sound, you can easily cross over to all genres of music”. Because deuk-eum literally means acquiring all the sounds in the world. He said that if you practice pansori deeply and reach a certain level, you will be able to sing everything easily, even if it is not necessarily a pansori singing method.

Although he reached the level of a master singer in that way, Kim Jeong-min said, “Pansori is something you have to practice all your life without being complacent.” In order to do that, you need to have solid financial support above all else. This is why Kim Jeong-min runs a business in addition to performing and lecturing.

“World-class musicians such as pianists, violinists, and vocalists say that they regress if they miss even a day of practice. Pansori, too, must not be lazy in refining and polishing every day. If I can grow the business I am doing now, I will be able to do the music I am doing more freely. In that sense, the person I envision for my future is a successful musician and businessman.”

Kim Jung-min’s dream of becoming the ‘21st century Choi Seung-hee’ and conquering the world with pansori is spreading like a waterfall toward 200 million Hallyu fans around the world, just like his voice.

“Sireung Silgeon~ Pull it~ Hey~ Pull it hard, saw it~ Oh my! This is a huge hit!”




Reporter Yang Hyeong-mo hmyang0307@donga.com