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Korea Herald

Lee Hee-moon's glam journey through folk songs -- in heels and hanbok

Clad in sparkling high heels, short tights and a shock of brightly colored wigs, Lee Hee-moon stepped onto the stage in full glam and earned many nicknames like 'The Gugak Rebel' or 'The Joseon Hedwig.' But to focus on his flamboyant costuming alone is to miss the larger picture. Onstage, Lee moves with the magnetism of a pop star and the ritualistic presence of a folk priest. Collaborating across genres, from jazz and hip-hop to techno, disco and trot, he bends and reshapes Korean folk music into something utterly his own. What unfolds in his performances is neither fully traditional nor fully modern; neither strictly male nor female; neither a rock concert nor a ritual. It is something entirely new. His creativity with tradition and genre is what brought him to July's Yeowoorak Festival as artistic director. Now 45, Lee is one of the few male vocalists formally trained in Gyeonggi minyo, a traditional style of Korean folk music native to Seoul and its surrounding province. The genre, traditionally performed by women, is rarely pursued by male singers. But to him, tradition is not a dusty relic. It's a living, breathing, ever-evolving form — playful, dynamic and at times, subversive. 'I'm just trying different outfits for minyo,' he said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. 'Different costumes, different sounds, different visuals. It's like I'm making sample after sample, seeing what clicks with the audience.' He came to gugak late — in his late 20s — partly because the idea of a male Gyeonggi minyo singer did not occur to him. Even so, Lee's roots in minyo run deep. His mother, Go Ju-rang, is a renowned Gyeonggi minyo master, and he trained under her close friend Lee Chun-hee. A 2007 collaboration with renowned choreographer Ahn Eun-mi on 'Princess Bari' marked the breakthrough that defined his artistic vision. He went on to form the glam-folk band SsingSsing in 2014 and gained global attention with a viral NPR Tiny Desk Concert in 2017. Looking back, pushing against the boundaries of a conservative music scene was daunting. 'It felt like I was going through a kind of measles,' he said with a laugh. 'But once I got through it, I realized it wasn't such a big deal after all.' 'When I dress up, I feel like I become someone else — more confident, more alive. That transformation helps me onstage,' he added. This year alone, Lee has presented several projects/repertoires and has more lined up, blending new and ongoing works such as band Obangsin (2020), the documentary-style lecture "Deep Love Trilogy" (2020), his most traditional work 'Yo' (2024) and the male minyo group Goman Goman (2024). Unlike his usual glittery performances, the recent projects take a stripped-down approach. Wearing traditional hanbok, without sequins or heels, Lee puts the music itself front and center. During the Japanese colonial period, male minyo singers nearly disappeared, Lee explained, but recently, he has noticed more young men stepping onto the scene. Gathering these young singers for study sessions and stage performances has reignited his desire to return to tradition. '(I think) I have always embraced tradition, but I now hope to sing in a more classical style — faithful to the traditional methods as well,' he said. 'I've grown increasingly passionate about this goal.' His work with Gyeonggi minyo continues to evolve alongside him. 'I always say that the melodies of Gyeonggi minyo are bright, elaborate and lively,' he said. 'But if you look closely at the lyrics, they contain the full range of human emotions: joy, sorrow, love and anger. It's like telling sad stories with a smile. Sometimes, it even feels like black comedy. That's why I think this genre fits our times so well.' 'It's a truly unique kind of music, and when I create performances, I want to match that uniqueness with equally distinctive shows.' The 2025 Yeowookrak Festival runs from July 4-26. hwangdh@