Exploring the Legacy of Namwon Pansori: How Jang Jae-baek Revived a Cultural Heritage

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Namwon, long regarded as the spiritual home of pansori.

In the region that inspired the Chunhyangga and Heungboga epics, Song Heung-rok (1801–1863) — celebrated as a ga-wang, or “king of song” — developed the sanyuhwajo and perfected the jinyangjo, helping elevate pansori to the status of a national art. His voice spread through Namwon, Gurye, Sunchang and Gochang and coalesced into the Dongpyeonje tradition.

Scholars typically trace Dongpyeonje’s lineage from Song Heung-rok to his younger brother Song Gwang-rok, then to Song Woo-ryong (his son) and Song Man-gap (his grandson). But a closer, place-based look changes the picture.

Song Woo-ryong and Song Man-gap primarily worked in Gurye, and records indicate Song Gwang-rok spent his later years in Iksan. As a result, Namwon experienced a gap after Song Gwang-rok during which few prominent masters were active.

The figure who filled that gap was master singer Jang Jae-baek. At the Pansori Research Institute’s third Chunhyang forum on the 30th, held at Namwon’s Ahn Sook-sun: A Master Singer’s Journey, speakers again identified the Jang family as a central pillar in preserving Namwon’s pansori tradition.

Choi Dong-hyun, professor emeritus at Kunsan National University, said, “Jang Jae-baek was a Dongpyeonje singer and a direct disciple of Kim Se-jong who carried on Namwon’s pansori tradition. After Song Gwang-rok, Namwon pansori fell largely under the influence of the Jang family.”

The family’s influence spread along two main lines: Yu Seong-jun on one side and Kim Jeong-mun on the other.

Jang Joo-i, Jang Jae-baek’s niece (his sister’s daughter), married master singer Yu Seong-jun. Yu, a student of Song Woo-ryong, excelled in Sugungga and Jeokbyeokga and passed those works to later generations. His students included leading modern pansori figures such as Im Bang-ul, Kim Yeon-su, Jeong Gwang-su and Park Dong-jin.

The other branch centers on Kim Jeong-mun. Yu Seong-jun’s sister Yu Jun was Kim’s mother, and Kim’s wife, Jang Bong-seon, also came from the Jang family. Within this web of teacher-student ties and kinship, Kim inherited Song Man-gap’s style and emerged as Namwon’s representative master. His students included Kang Do-geun, Park Rok-ju and Park Cho-wol.

After Kim Jeong-mun, Kim Young-woon became a leading representative of Namwon pansori; he was Kim Jeong-mun’s nephew and the brother-in-law of Kang Do-geun. These tightly interwoven family and marriage networks linked individuals into a single lineage that carried Namwon’s pansori forward.

All these threads converge on one figure: master singer Kang Do-geun, who preserved the essence of Dongpyeonje.

Kang Do-geun (1918–1996) studied with Kim Jeong-mun, Song Man-gap and Yu Seong-jun, then spent seven years in solitary practice at Ssanggyesa Temple refining his art. He later taught as a changak instructor at the Namwon Gugakwon, training the next generation, and in 1988 was designated the holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 5 for Heungboga.

His voice was known as cheolseong, or “iron voice.” Its high, firm timbre — often likened to the rustle of leaves — embodied Dongpyeonje’s muscular character. He insisted, “I don’t compose my own pieces. I sing exactly as I was taught,” a remark that underscored his devotion to preserving the original form. Notable singers who emerged from his school include Ahn Sook-sun, Lee Nan-cho and Jeon In-sam.

At the forum, participants also offered recommendations for sustaining the tradition.

Choi Hye-jin, honorary president of the Korean Society for Performing Arts and Culture, said, “To reaffirm Namwon pansori’s standing, we must begin by systematically collecting and archiving related materials.”

She added, “Continuity is not mere imitation; it requires new creation. Because individual singers face limits, the local community and multiple stakeholders must participate to preserve Namwon’s musical identity.”

Kim Mina, director of Ahn Sook-sun: A Master Singer’s Journey, said, “Our duty is to pass the songs we received from our teachers intact to the next generation. We will build a transmission framework that protects Namwon’s original sound while engaging with the world.”