Why You Can’t Miss An Ae-ran’s Documentary: A Journey Through 70 Years of Pansori Tradition

(The CEN News / Reporter Yang Hyung-ju) Gugak Broadcasting will present a special documentary, Oral Project: Stories I Want to Leave Behind, that focuses on the life and work of Dongpyeonje pansori Chunhyangga master An Aeran.

Oral Project traces An Aeran’s seven-decade pansori career, using her vivid voice and recollections to underscore the value of tradition and the urgency of cultural transmission. The program will air on radio on May 4 at 9 p.m. and on television on May 5 at 9 a.m.

Born in 1943 in Naju, Jeollanam-do, An Aeran belongs to a family of singers. As a child she dreamed of the stage while peering through a theater door crack, and she began her pansori training after meeting teacher Shin Chi-seon alongside her singing friend O Bi-yeon.

She later studied with leading masters of her time — Shin Chi-seon, Jang Wol-jung-seon, Jeong Eung-min and Seong Woo-hyang — becoming the last direct disciple to carry forward the Dongpyeonje Chunhyangga tradition. On Jang Wol-jung-seon’s recommendation, she completed rigorous foundational training under Jeong Eung-min, practicing relentlessly until she achieved a full, complete performance of Chunhyangga.

An Aeran’s artistic drive shone during her tenure as a pansori instructor at the Mokpo Municipal Gugak Center. Driven by relentless devotion, she traveled monthly to study with Seong Woo-hyang in Sillim-dong, Seoul, alternating between trains and buses. Her practice was so intense she nearly lost hearing in one ear. Ultimately, Jeollanam-do recognized her as an intangible cultural asset, designating her the Dongpyeonje pansori Chunhyangga holder.

Beginning in 1981 she devoted herself to teaching. She would wake students at 4 a.m. for hill climbs and, though her methods could be strict — earning her the nickname “Tiger Teacher” for stern discipline that sometimes included a wooden cane — she also checked each student’s vocal health daily with meticulous care. Under her guidance, hundreds of students, including Oh Jeong-hae, Park Ae-ri, Kim Song and Jo Yu-a, rose to prominence in the gugak world.

Her artistic achievements and dedication are reflected in major honors: the Grand Prize (Presidential Award) at the Mokpo National Gugak Contest, the Namdo Gugak Award, recognition as a Korean Master, and a commendation for contributions to the National Gugak Center’s 70th anniversary in 2021.

The documentary was filmed on location at An Aeran’s teaching studio in Mokpo. It follows her from those moments as a child dreaming through a theater door crack, through grueling training and a period when she set aside pansori for her family, to her eventual return to the gugak stage.

The program is expected to deepen appreciation of An Aeran’s artistic legacy and the broader significance of passing pansori to future generations.

Photo=Gugak Broadcasting

(The CEN News) Reporter Yang Hyung-ju press@mhns.co.kr