Folk Song Singer, Huh Gye-saeng

Humans of Jeju

Born in 1953 in Songdang-ri Village of Gujwa-eup Area, Huh Gye-saeng faced a difficult life from a young age due to her family's poor circumstances. She did work typically reserved for men. At the age of 20, she married and moved to Seonheul-ri Village in Jocheon-eup Area, where she raised four daughters and one son while farming tangerines. After suffering from an unexplained illness, she began learning Jeju folk songs and work songs from a master singer, and in 2010, she won the grand prize at the National Folk Song Contest. After learning to sing, her illness completely disappeared. It was only much later that she realized it had been an illness of the heart. She has since passed on her farming responsibilities to her children and now enjoys a peaceful and happy life singing and painting. Her life story is documented in the book .

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