On November 7, the Art Hall of the College of Arts hosted the 4th President's Cup Traditional Music Competition. Although not fully polished, the hall was packed with amateur singers whose passion for pansori was sky-high. The student singers who participated each performed a passage they had learned.

From students dressed in beautiful hanbok to those who became flustered after forgetting their narrative, and even to teams delivering spirited passages, the College of Arts was filled with a jubilant pansori celebration.

This competition provided an opportunity for students enrolled in 'Traditional Music' — a required liberal arts course first offered nationwide by JBNU in 2008 to reflect regional characteristics — to showcase the pansori and danso performance skills they had learned over the semester. It also served as a distinctive 'chaekgeori' event unique to JBNU.

The 'pansori' and 'danso performance' courses, unique to JBNU nationwide, were established with the aim that every JBNU student should be able to perform at least one passage. Since 2008, some 5,600 students have taken them, and this year alone about 1,400 students enrolled.

The instructor line-up included renowned singers, among them Master Singer Jo Tong-dal, revered as one of the country's finest. They help students build pride in and an appreciation for our traditional music.

Dean Park In-hyun of the College of Arts said, "The 'Traditional Music' course, a distinctive offering unique to JBNU, is operated on the principle that students at a university located in the heartland of pansori should each be able to perform a passage. It is a source of pride for JBNU. I hope that through this class students will learn the spirit of '온고지신 (温故知新)', cherishing the old and creating newness from it."

Meanwhile, at the competition top prizes — the Grand Prize, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Encouragement Awards — were presented to outstanding students. Awardees received certificates and scholarships.