The Division of International Support for Korean Studies held the 103rd Societas Koreana Lecture Meeting on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at the Westin Josun Seoul Hotel. Dr. Anna Yates-Lu (Professor, Seoul National University) spoke on the topic of “Pansori: Storytelling through Song,” introducing the themes and musical expressions of pansori.

As part of her talk, Dr. Yates-Lu carried out a pansori demonstration, allowing attendees to vividly experience the ways of expression in pansori. In particular, Dr. Yates-Lu’s performance of Simcheongga at the end of her lecture evoked deep emotion and moved the hearts of many of the attendees. After the talk, attendees actively asked questions, showing a great interest and curiosity toward pansori. In particular, their questions demonstrated an interest in the diverse ways in which pansori can be modified, such as the potential of fusing pansori with other musical genres and whether there are cases in which pansori has been sung in foreign languages.

A video of the lecture will be made available on the Societas Koreana YouTube channel in the future.