Jeong Byeong-heon: The Twelve Pansori Repertoires

This beautiful art is all the more valuable because it was not created by a single author in a single moment, but rather accumulated layer by layer while fully embracing the strata of history and human history. Some works originated as pansori and later became established as novels, while others gained popularity as novels before being adapted into pansori; regardless of the specific work, it can be said to have been created through the interest and affection of both the upper and lower classes. The history of pansori is significant in that it represents the trajectory of a collective literary tradition in which all Koreans participate and enjoy; for this reason, pansori culture continues to serve as an archetypal asset for various cultural contents even in the modern era. The narrative literary power of pansori lies latent within the layers of our consciousness, serving as a cultural archetype at any given time. The twelve fundamental stories of pansori literature vary in style and content, ranging from vocal texts intended for sung pansori to novel versions meant solely for reading, resulting in the production of numerous variant editions. Among these various editions, we selected meaningful ones that have not been widely introduced and undertook the task of translating them into Korean as simply as possible, without footnotes. Various variant editions are introduced, ranging from works written in the style of Pansori narratives to those established as novels. For each work, I have strived to maintain a sense of unity and balance while respecting the authors' tastes and expressions. Through this book, I hope readers will be able to experience the joy and emotion of Pansori, as well as the spirit of the times and the essence of life.

Korean title: 판소리 열두바탕

Korean author: 정병헌

Korean publisher: 민속원

ISBN-13: 9788928501175