“Even though I was in debt and living in a small house, I struggled alone not to let go of Yeoseong Gukgeuk. But getting this much attention makes me want to dance.”
‘First generation Yeoseong Gukgeuk’ master Jo Young-sook (pictured, 90) shared her thoughts on the interest in Yeoseong Gukgeuk that began with tvN’s ‘Jeongnyeoni.’ Master Cho, who met with Edaily on the 30th, said about the drama ‘Jeongnyeon’ based on Yeoseong Gukgeuk, “I watched it deeply,” and “I was grateful from the beginning, and it was fun, and I can’t describe it in words.”
Master Cho Young-sook began singing in 1951 by joining Yeoseong Gukgeuk Dongjisa, led by Lim Chun-aeng (1924-1975). This is the living history of Yeoseong Gukgeuk, which is still on stage in 2024 and continues the legacy of Yeoseong Gukgeuk. He is also the number one contributor to the creation of the work, having provided advice on the webtoon of the same name, which is the original work of tvN's 'Jeongnyeon', which is currently airing popularly. The appearance of the drama's main character, Yoon Jeong-nyeon (Kim Tae-ri), from her short hair to the boldness with which she does anything, also resembles the real-life Master Jo. He also contributed to drama production. I visited the filming site and gave advice on sound and gukgeuk to the main actors, and I also participated in the opening and introduced the roles through sound. Because it was a work based on Yeoseong Gukgeuk, I actively participated and helped.
Master Jo said, “Tae-ri Kim was really good. “It’s so difficult,” he exclaimed. He continued, “When I visited the filming site, I explained how to act as a man. I told him that he should walk confidently with his chest out, hold an egg with his hands, and walk with an eight-legged gait, and (when I watched the broadcast) he was doing just that.” He also confessed, “When I was doing the spears, I told them that Yeoseong Gukgeuk’s spears were different from Pansori’s spears, and they knew that feeling well and did it with a difference,” and “It was difficult acting, but I was really grateful and touched that they did it well.”
Born as the only daughter of Jo Mong-sil (1900-1949), a disciple of Kim Chang-hwan (1987-1910), a master pansori singer and pioneer of Changgeuk, Master Jo joined the Gukgeuk troupe as fate would have it, despite her mother's opposition, saying, "I will not raise her as a clown's daughter." And I have been devoting my entire life to Yeoseong Gukgeuk. Yeoseong Gukgeuk started in the 1950s, which is the background of ‘Jeongnyeoni’, and went through both heydays and dark times.
Master Cho, who personally experienced the dark times from the heyday, which was more glamorous than the current idol market, said, “It has been several decades since Yeoseong Gukgeuk received attention.” He added, “After the heyday of Yeoseong Gukgeuk, in the 1960s, actors went to medicine sellers, performed, and took medicine together. sold. “There was a time like that,” he said, shedding tears. Because of these twists and turns, the current interest that arose from ‘Jeongnyeon’ is more meaningful. Master Jo said, “Even the country was ignoring Yeoseong Gukgeuk, but you have done an amazing job to spark interest through the drama.” He added, “I am so touched and I want to do whatever I can to help.”
In particular, Master Cho believed that it was important to start now as it was a difficult interest to acquire. He pointed out, “In times like these, we need to continue this craze by creating proper Yeoseong Gukgeuk.”
Above all, he emphasized that help from the government and local governments is desperately needed.
“If Yeoseong Gukgeuk disappears, an axis of Korean traditional music, our tradition, will collapse. It must be preserved and passed down well, and to do so, it must become a cultural asset. If national cultural heritage (national heritage) is difficult, shouldn't it be local cultural heritage (regional intangible heritage) so that its legacy will not be interrupted? ‘Jeongnyeon’ caused a boom, so I hope someone will take advantage of this boom and produce a proper Yeoseong Gukgeuk production.”
Master Cho, now 90 years old, is currently teaching his students and devoting his energies to the succession of Yeoseong Gukgeuk. Byun Min-ji, a student of National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 17 Bongsan Talchum and a student of Master Cho, who was present at the interview, also said that she felt the change in interest after the airing of ‘Jeongnyeoni’ and said, “I am happy to see the genre that the teacher wanted to do so much is finally seeing the light of day. “I think my students should take care of what I taught them,” he said.
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