American Greg Priester is an English teacher in Korea who is better known for his singing through his many performances at weddings, concerts and other events. Greg shot to fame in 2012 when he appeared on 전국노래자랑 (KBS’s Nationwide Singing Competition) as one of the few non-Koreans to take part in the show. The program, which has broadcast for nearly 35 years, making it South Korea’s longest-running TV program, welcomed Greg onto the stage and the subsequent video currently has over a million views. Greg wrote a piece for Asia Society Korea Center to talk about this iconic show and to share his unique experience as a participant.

전국노래자랑 (Nationwide Singing Competition) is a hidden gem of South Korean culture. These days, there are many popular singing programs in South Korea such as Superstar K and K-Pop Star, but long before them there was 전국노래자랑, which began in 1980. It’s amazing that this program has managed to broadcast for nearly 35 years which makes it South Korea’s longest-running TV program.

On the surface this is just a talent show which caters to the older generation of South Koreans. Each Sunday the program travels to a different part of South Korea to host this competition for local participants. The live audience members for the show are usually elderly; therefore, the competitors generally sing traditional styles of music like Trot (트로트) and Pansori (판소리). Trot music which is also called Ppongjjak (뽕짝) for its rhythm, is considered to be the oldest form of Korean pop music. Pansori is the traditional Korean narrative song which tells a story with dramatic, powerful vocals. These are huge pieces of Korean culture which this program has kept thriving and even produced some of the top stars in the country.

The show’s host is an energetic, sharp-witted, 87-year-old man named Song Hae (송해) who has hosted the show for 26 years. Contestants run out onto the center stage, interview with him, and then start performing. When the four chimes sound (ding, dong, dang, dong!), the participant’s chance is over. If the performance gets the grandmothers and grandfathers to enjoy and also dance, that participant will most likely win the competition.

Is this enough to keep a program running for nearly 35 years? Possibly, but the reality of this program runs much deeper. I was surprised in 2012 when I heard about the open auditions for the global version of the show. I didn’t realize that the program welcomed non-Koreans at all, but it has for many years, allowing others to share their love of Korean culture. I discovered that more than 30,000 contestants have qualified and appeared on the show, including nationals, immigrant wives, migrant works and even teachers like me. The show has also broadcasted globally from other cities such as New York City, Tokyo, Shenyang and Qingdao and has a very high viewership in Korea.

When I performed Seoul, I realized the audience was not only filled with grandparents, but also families and many people with international backgrounds. It dawned on me that 전국노래자랑 was in fact a global ambassador for South Korea. From start to finish, the program delicately gives people a view of Korean culture. When the show starts and the opening theme song begins, there is an introductory video that displays the location’s name and the unique cultural aspects of that place such as the famous foods, festivals, and landmarks. Throughout the show, contestants come out and show not only their joy for singing and dancing but their pride for their hometown. This along with Song Hae’s interaction with these cultural aspects makes the program more loved. Each week the audience travels to a new place and learns a bit more about a new place in Korea. 전국노래자랑 essentially bridges the gap to traditional music, culture, and foreign lands. All viewers gain knowledge of Korean culture and enjoy some interesting performances!
 

Watch Greg perform here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCBKQ1XqSaA