Master's student Jo Hun-hwa (Department of Korean Music, College of Arts) won the First Prize (Gold) in the Open Division at the 1st World Yanggeum Competition, held on May 1 in Qingdao, China.

Attended by performers from 12 countries across Asia, Europe and beyond, this event was the first-ever World Yanggeum Competition.

At the competition, Jo Hun-hwa, who majors in the gayageum, performed 'Hondon' (Chaos), composed by yanggeum performer Yun Eun-hwa, moving audiences worldwide with yanggeum melodies imbued with a distinctly Korean character.

The judges commented, 'Among the contestants, Jo Hun-hwa exhibited the most delicate touch, and her emotional expression in the performance was exceptionally outstanding.'

In particular, the competition featured a unique Guinness World Records attempt for the 'largest world yanggeum performance,' which involved 425 yanggeum players. Jo Hun-hwa participated in the attempt and succeeded, gaining a memorable experience.

Jo Hun-hwa said, 'I am truly delighted to have won the Gold Prize at the first World Yanggeum Competition, and I was deeply moved that yanggeum players from around the world gathered to perform together and were listed in the Guinness World Records. Moving forward, I will actively pursue both domestic and international activities with the yanggeum to further develop my abilities, and I will work even harder under the guidance of professors in the Department of Korean Music.'