Jeon got admitted to Korea University (KU) in 1978 and majored in Korean Language Education. His study expanded to traditional oral literature and folklore, and his expertise was enriched from experiences as an exchange professor at Indiana University. Overall, Jeon’s historic insight, especially on intangible cultural properties, is widely acknowledged, as he served as the chief of KU’s Research Institute of Korean Studies (RIKS) and is currently participating as a member of the Cultural Properties Committee.

 

Jeon was raised in a family with a distinguished cultural DNA. “My father was a human cultural asset for Bukcheongsajanoreum, a traditional dance selected as the 15th important intangible cultural property of Korea,” said Jeon, “and I eventually learned and practiced his dance with other professionals in public places.” Jeon’s active period with his father was mainly during the 70s, which is recognized as the revival period of Talchum, Korean mask dances.

 

While he preserved and mastered the dance with his father, Jeon’s interest in traditional performances was also inflamed, and his passion persisted when he was accepted to KU as a Korean Language Education student. Here, Jeon’s awareness for Bukcheongsajanoreum extended to other intangible cultural properties such as Pansori, a Korean musical storytelling, and he delved further into the study of folklore to comprehend the historical context, establishing a vast network of knowledge about Korean traditional culture.

 

Nevertheless, Jeon was not the stereotypical scholar geek who was contented in burrowing in libraries. His elemental sense of heung, best translated as an intrinsic sentiment of joy, that diffused from his father was conspicuous as he participated in the KU cheerleading band as the lead drummer. Back in the past, the band consisted of 40 members including trombonists and saxophonists, and they led the entire student body in their school cheers during college festivals such as the Annual Ko-Yon Games. “When we played the cheering song of KU, the grounds shook and our body tingled with unimaginable excitement,” recollected Jeon.

 

After Jeon’s passionate school years both in the field of study and recreation, these experiences culminated in his participation in RIKS and the Cultural Properties Committee. Every year, Jeon held international academic conferences and compared the traditional performances of Korea, China, and Japan. Presently, as a member of the Cultural Properties Committee, he takes part in authorizing or removing intangible cultural properties, or the holders of the particular cultural assets, constantly assessing the current status of Korea’s historical legacy.

 

Here, Jeon’s performances ultimately molded his philosophy on preserving Korean tradition. “Tradition is not a fossilized past; rather it is a flowing current of culture that constantly changes with the advent of a new trend,” stressed Jeon. To be concrete, during the process of reviving and developing the tradition, there were two necessary factors—the modernization of aboriginal customs and the Koreanization of foreign culture.

 

Nevertheless, Jeon pointed out that while Korea is enthusiastic about accepting foreign lifestyles, it shows tepid attitudes toward fostering existing folk culture, ultimately leading toward the loss of a distinguished national heritage. “We witness people who are fanatic about K-pop, the variation of Western pop culture, and who are eager to pursue music or fashion from overseas,” said Jeon. Nonetheless, he warned that Korean tradition itself is losing popularity, as performances such as Talchum are deemed as outdated rituals. This phenomenon could stimulate foreign influence to completely dominate traditional customs, in the end bringing the dissolution of Korea’s indigenous cultural identity.

 

 

Thus, to Koreans, especially the younger generations, Jeon asked for their continuous interest not only toward the influx of foreign culture, but also toward the conservation of the established historical assets. For instance, according to Jeon, China has rejuvenated its traditional circus known as Ma Xi by adding storytelling to martial arts to attract audiences, gaining a wide popularity. As for Korea, Jeon added that the preserving and renewing of original culture such as the modernized hanbok should also be encouraged and assessed positively. “Amongst countries, Korea is still considered nouveau riche since the 70s,” said Jeon. “It is time the country focused not only on reaching economic success but also on enriching its tradition, so that Korea can flourish with a distinct national identity based on a cultural stronghold.”

 

Jeon is currently teaching traditional oral literature and is ceaselessly excavating and introducing aboriginal traditions so that the younger generation can use and develop them for their own creative works ranging from plays to TV dramas. His recent work, the publication of a dictionary of Korean traditional performances, provides detailed information on the country’s historical art. He is also presently writing about the history and the traditional form of East Asian mask performances, and about the oral sounds of Buddhism, especially the Korean transmission aspect of the sound “La-La-Li.”

 

Indeed, as Jeon had warned, the national enthusiasm to restore and modernize tradition at present is not what it used to be. Nevertheless, with his continuous accomplishments to introduce and publicize historical assets into people’s daily lives, Jeon has enlivened the flame of tradition against the violent wind of indiscriminate Westernization and has illuminated the hope toward the future prospect of Korean cultural integrity.