▲ Gangsan Folk Song Mangyeomsori Preservation Society / President Jeongheon Gwon

Folks songs were commonly sung by commoners whose professions were not singers. For this reason, many of folk songs contain common sentiments of their daily life. Naturally, many organizations are formed and active in an effort to preserve its value. Gangsan Folk Song Mangyeomsori Preservation Society is one of the organizations which recently received the 2020 Brilliant People & Brand Awards held by Herald Group and monthly <PowerKorea>. 

Gangsan folk song mangyeomsori was discovered and passed it down by Jeongheo Ha who was selected as a global humanities leader by the International Biographical Center. Mangyeomsori means ‘our house or the sound of our village’ in Korean. 

An official of the society says that mangyeomsori in fact cover all styles of Korean folk songs; it is like a grand map of Korean folk songs like the grand map of Korea drawn by Jeongho Kim in the late Joseon dynasty era; it is consisted of 4 musical gauges and 8 scales. 

Jeongheon Gwon, President of the Gangsan Folk Song Mangyeomsori Preservation Society, is a master singer of seonsori ballad, the Intangible Cultural Asset No.19. She completed Gyeonggisori master class at Chung-Ang University Graduate School of Korean Music Education.

The society recently set sail by organizing a signboard hanging event which was attended by the Dangjin City Council members and the mayor. The activities of the society was recognized by the locals and in recognition of its contribution to keeping and spreading the value of Korean folk songs, the society received the 2020 Brilliant People & Brand Awards in the category of traditional folks songs promotion.