School of Korean Traditional Arts Alumni and Students Triumph

at the 49^th National Tangeumdae Gayageum Competition

Alumna Yun Sohyeon captured the prestigious Presidential Award (Grand Prize in the General Division) at the 49th National Tangeumdae Gayageum Competition, which took place from August 20 to 23 at the Chungju Cultural Center. Meanwhile, current student Seol Hyunseo received the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Award (Grand Prize in the University Division).

Yun, who earned both her bachelor's and master’s degrees from K-Arts and completed doctoral coursework at Ewha Womans University, currently nurtures rising talent as an instructor at Gugak National High School and the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts (KNIGA). In her acceptance remarks, Yun expressed profound gratitude for the accolade, pledging to remain dedicated to the instrument and continue delivering heartfelt music to audiences.

Established in 1977, the annual National Tangeumdae Gayageum Competition honors the legacy of Master Ureuk, the legendary creator of the gayageum, while fostering the future of gugak. This year’s competition featured solo, gayageum byeongchang (singing accompanied by gayageum), and ensemble divisions across elementary to general categories, presenting 32.9 million KRW in prize money to 60 awardees.

Choi Naehyeon, President of the Chungju Federation of Arts and Culture, congratulated participants on their artistry and reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to advancing traditional Korean music. As part of their honors, Yun and fellow award winners will perform at the 54th Ureuk Cultural Festival at Chungju Tangeum Park from October 8 to 11.