Seoul, South Korea – Renowned Korean folk singers Jung Tae-choon (72) and Park Eun-ok (69) are set to release their new album after a 13-year hiatus. Jung Tae-choon expressed his hope that people would recognize "the power to break through the walls of barbarism, the power of intellect, and the power of common sense" in today's world. The duo unveiled their new album and upcoming projects at a press conference held at the Roh Moo-hyun Citizens' Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
The duo's latest endeavor, titled "Break the Walls, Song," embodies their desire to dismantle the various barriers prevalent in society, including those of conventional wisdom, norms, exclusivity, discrimination, genre, and fear.
Jung Tae-choon explained that the album was born from a genuine desire to share his music, stating, "The songs came from within me, and I wanted to share them. My only thought was to create truly great music." This comes after his 2019 documentary, "Achi's Song, Jung Tae-choon," where he declared he would no longer create new songs. Park Eun-ok added, "This might be our last album. If I am reborn, I still want to be a musician." This year marks the 45th anniversary of their musical partnership.
Their 12th studio album, "Between Torrential Rains," is scheduled for release next month, featuring 10 tracks, with Jung Tae-choon singing eight and Park Eun-ok singing two. Jung Tae-choon expressed, "Regardless of the evaluations, I hope these songs, which I poured my heart into, will reach many people." He also credited Bob Dylan's lyrics and music for inspiring him to create new songs.
Park Eun-ok shared her admiration for her husband's unique musical style, saying, "When I heard the songs, I thought, 'This man creates truly different music.'" She described the title track, "Between Torrential Rains," as an immersive experience, evoking the feeling of being drenched in rain both physically and emotionally.
Jung Tae-choon is known for his protest songs that confront the challenges of the times. While he debuted with the sentimental "Poet's Village" in 1978, he became a voice of resistance against the military dictatorship in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1990, he released the unauthorized album "Ah, Korea," challenging the pre-censorship system for records. His legal battle against the system led to the Constitutional Court's decision to abolish the pre-censorship of pop songs in 1996.
During the press conference, the duo performed "Jongno in the '92 Monsoon" live, a song from Jung Tae-choon's second unauthorized album. Jung Tae-choon humorously mentioned, "I told my granddaughter, 'This week is Super Week. There's this and that on Monday, and your grandparents have a press conference on Tuesday. Isn't that a super week?'" The song, now 33 years old, resonated powerfully with the audience.
The new album is part of their 2025 literary project, "Break the Walls, Song," which also includes a national tour titled "My Poem, My Song" from May to July, a calligraphy exhibition called "Song, Song" in June, and the publication of Jung Tae-choon's poetry collection "Between Torrential Rains" and calligraphy collection "Song, Song." Additionally, their 1994 song collections "Jung Tae-choon" and "Jung Tae-choon 2" will be reprinted after 31 years.
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