Jin Chae-seon (born 1842 or 1847) was a Korean

pansori ' () is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer. The term ''pansori'' is derived from the Korean words ''pan'' (Hangul: 판) and ''sori'' (Hangul: 소리), the latter of which means "sound." However, ''pan' ...

singer, widely regarded as the first female master of a male dominated genre, although she was probably not the first woman to perform pansori, as

gisaeng Kisaeng (Hangul: 기생, Hanja: 妓生, RR: ''Gisaeng''), also called ginyeo (Hangul: 기녀, Hanja: 妓女), were women from outcast or slave families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men ...

courtesans might have performed it before her. She was a master of performing ''

Chunhyangga ''Chunhyangga'' is the most famous ''pansori'' (musical story telling) in Korea, having had considerable popularity in the country for the past century. ''Chunhyangga'' is considered to be the best ''pansori'' musically, and as a work of literature ...

'' and ''

Simcheongga is one of the five surviving stories of the Korean ''pansori'' storytelling tradition. The other stories are '' Chunhyangga'', '' Heungbuga'', '' Jeokbyeokga'', and '' Sugungga''. History The exact date of when the story was adapted into a pan ...

''.

Life and career

Jin was born in Mujang-myeon, Gochang County in

North Jeolla North Jeolla Province (; ''Jeollabuk-do''), also known as Jeonbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Jeolla has a population of 1,869,711 (2015) and has a geographic area of 8,067 km2 (3,115 sq mi) located in the Honam region in the southwest ...

province, as the daughter of a female

shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...

. She had a talent for singing since her childhood, becoming good at

Jeongak ''Jeongak'' (literally "proper music") is that category of Korean music which is considered Korean Court Music, classical, as distinct from ''minsogak'' which is folk music. The category has traditionally been associated with the upper classes. Th ...

. She was discovered by pansori patron

Shin Jae-hyo Shin Jae-hyo (; 1812–1884) was a theoretician and adapter of ''pansori'' in the late Joseon Dynasty. While not a famous singer of pansori, he contributed much to its development. He organized and recorded the six stories of pansori: ''Chunhyangga' ...

at the age of 17 and learnt pansori singing and performance at his school. He took her in as his student despite the social stigma that did not allow women to perform pansori at the time. At age 22, she was sent by Shin to perform at Nakseongyeon in Gyeonghoeru Pavilion,

Gyeongbok Palace Gyeongbokgung (), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the '' Five Grand Palaces'' built by the Joseo ...

, where a celebratory dinner took place, disguised as a man. There she caught the attention of

Heungseon Daewongun Heungseon Daewongun (흥선대원군, 興宣大院君, 21 December 1820 – 22 February 1898; ), also known as the Daewongun (대원군, 大院君), Guktaegong (국태공, 國太公, "The Great Archduke") or formally Internal King Heungseon Heon ...

(the father of

Gojong of Korea Gojong (; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919) was the monarch of Korea from 1864 to 1907. He reigned as the last King of Joseon from 1864 to 1897, and as the first Emperor of Korea from 1897 until his forced abdication in 1907. He is known ...

). The Daewongun appreciated Jin's singing talent and kept her at the palace as a court singer. According to the ''

Doosan Encyclopedia ''Doosan Encyclopedia'' is a Korean language encyclopedia published by Doosan Donga (두산동아). The encyclopedia is based on the ''Dong-A Color Encyclopedia'' (동아원색세계대백과사전), which comprises 30 volumes and began to be p ...

'', Jin became the Daewongun's concubine, as well. She became best known for singing

and Shimcheongga. Shin became devastated at the loss of his student, for whom he had romantic feelings. He dedicated a pansori to her, titled ''The song of the Peach Blossom'' (도리화가). When the Daewongun fell out of power, Jin returned to her already ill mentor and stayed by his side until his death. After Shin's passing in 1884, she disappeared without a trace. But it is also said that

Empress Myeongseong Empress Myeongseong or Empress Myungsung (명성황후 민씨; 17 November 1851 – 8 October 1895In lunar calendar, the Empress was born on 25 September 1851 and died on 20 August 1895), informally known as Empress Min, was the official wife ...

might have killed her or that Jin might have fled to China and lived a quiet life then on. Neither the date nor the place of her death is known.

In media

* Portrayed by

Bae Suzy Bae Su-ji (; born October 10, 1994), better known as Bae Suzy, is a South Korean singer, actress and model. She was a member of the girl group Miss A under JYP Entertainment. She made her debut as an actress with television series ''Dream High ...

in the 2015 film '' The Sound of a Flower''.

References

{{authority control 1840s births Pansori Korean women singers Year of death unknown People from Gochang County Yeoyang Jin clan