The Song of Chunhyang

Anonymous
The Song of Chunhyang
Korean
Near East and Asia
The Song of Chunhyang (also known as Chunhangga in Korean) is one of the most beloved kinds of pansori, Korean indigenous musical narrative drama. Pansori is a one-person story-singing tradition, accompanied by a drummer. (“Pan” means “a place where many people gather,” and “sori” means song or sound.) Originating from shaman and folk songs, pansori emerged in the 17th century, further developed in the 18th century, and enjoyed its greatest popularity in the 19th century; its main audience was the common people, but it also attracted aristocrats towards the end of the Joseon (1392-1910) period. It is an oral and vernacular performance tradition handed down through apprenticeship, designated as UNESCO’s Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003. Traditionally, one singer performs all the characters and also serves as the narrator, and the performances take place in the open air. Because of its oral literary/performance quality, there are many different versions of stories in pansori. Selected in this anthology are excerpts from the pansori script of The Song of Chunhyang, based on the version of Kim Soheui (1917-1995), an esteemed pansori singer. The Song of Chunyang, set in Jeolla Province during the Joseon period, tells the love story of a governor’s son and a girl whose mother was a gisaeng (female artist-entertainer), but it also delivers a social critique of the upper class’s corruption.
Consider while reading:

1. Pansori originated from Korea’s story-singing performance tradition. Identify the parts that demonstrate characteristics of vernacular and oral literature, such as lively dialogue and hyperbolic, descriptive, repetitive, and/or fantastic elements. What specific functions and significance might they have in the story and in the context of its performance?
2. Discuss in what ways the story is subversive of 18th-century Korean society. Provide examples and explain how they function as social criticism.

Written by Kyounghye Kwon