Bulgasari celebrates 20 years of experimental music in Seoul

Tyler Brown, left, performs with Eric Scott Nelson during Bulgasari in 2016. / Courtesy of Lee Han-joo

By Jon Dunbar

It's been almost 20 years since the monster that is Bulgasari rose from the muck of the gentrifying neighborhood around Hongik University. Movie fans may be thinking about the 1985 North Korean film directed by the abducted Shin Sang-ok, or even the earlier 1962 film of the same name, but this Bulgasari is an entirely different beast.

This Bulgasari was originally a monthly showcase of experimental music, avant-garde art collaborations and improvisational performances. It was created originally by members of the Korean-Japanese band Gopchangjeongol. Band member Sato Yukie, who moved to Korea in the 1990s, spoke about how much he enjoyed working with improvisational artists, so with his friend Lee Han-joo he started the event series.

Sato Yukie performs with the band Moyu at The Studio HBC, Dec. 17. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

Bulgasari first landed on Feb. 23, 2003, in Rush, a music venue near Sinchon Rotary where Sato had a gig DJing. The show was originally known as "Small Circle of Unknown Musicians (S.C.U.M.) in Seoul." But the name eventually changed after the German artist and composer Alfred 23 Harth expressed dislike for the word "scum."

Liner notes for a recording from one of the earliest Bulgasari shows, held in Rush in 2003 / Courtesy of Lee Han-joo

"Most South Koreans only know the sea creature," Lee said. "Young people are very surprised when you tell them the origin of the name."

The year after Bulgasari was born, Lee opened Yogiga, an arts space, and the concert series moved in and made itself at home. It relocated to a basement in Hapjeong-dong in 2006, which hosted the bulk of Bulgasari shows, as well as various other events, for the next decade. It became a fixture of the Hongdae scene, welcoming both Korean and foreign artists alike.

The liner notes from a two-disc recording of a Bulgasari show held in Rush, Aug. 15, 2004 / Courtesy of Lee Han-joo

"The way Bulgasari is run has changed many times," he said. "There were days when it went on for too long, and there were many opinions that it was boring to just have performances one after another and end it, so we tried various ways. Originally, Bulgasari did not have a specific genre from the beginning. Anyone who wanted to perform could participate."

A sign in front of Yogiga's Hapjeong-dong location advertises a Bulgasari show, in this undated photo. / Courtesy of Lee Han-joo

Yogiga relocated to Mangwon-dong in 2016, and a year later moved to Yeonnam-dong, then to Donggyo-dong in 2018. In 2020, Lee moved the operation to Ganghwa Island.

"Now I'm back in Seoul," he said.

For the last while, Bulgasari events have re-emerged in various places, most notably in Banjul, a venue in downtown Seoul. Throughout the pandemic, Bulgasari has managed to keep going with some regularity, through video uploads and what Lee calls "telepathy Bulgasari."

Lee Han-joo, right, performs with a harpist during a Bulgasari show at Banjul in 2022. / Courtesy of Lee Han-joo

Lee said he's also built a new basement space, and transferred Yogiga's business registration to the new address. "I'm planning to operate it in a slightly different form soon," he added.

When it came time to start planning for Bulgasari's 20th anniversary, Lee said he thought hard about where to hold the event, before choosing Mudaeruk, located in Hapjeong-dong only a few blocks away from the former Yogiga location.

"The spaces hosting Bulgasari every month have disappeared," he said. "The reason to do it in Mudaeruk is because Bulgasari was born in Sinchon a long time ago and grew up in Hongdae, and there was a special sense of solidarity from before."

It's impossible to find out now how many Bulgasari shows there have been. All that's certain is that it began in 2003. That faded history is unfortunate, but it suits the experimental, impromptu nature of this show.

"A lot of artistic actions are now running together, and special memories are fading away," Lee said. "The biggest memory of Bulgasari is that it is always done by performances and presentations, and the audience and artists all improvise. This was the most precious experience."

People sit in a circle during a Bulgasari event in 2014. / Courtesy of Lee Han-joo

Bulgasari's 20th anniversary will start at 2 p.m. this Sunday.

People who want to participate must apply by Wednesday. Lee rattled off almost 20 acts already registered, including himself and Sato, Tyler Brown, Russell Moore, Loic Gendry, Remi Klemensiewicz, Rui Inaba and pansori singer Kim Jeong-eun. There will also be a screening of the film "Ttongtong" directed by Jang Kwon-ho.

"Especially as someone living abroad, Bulgasari has really become like an informal family," said Tyler Brown, who has been part of Bulgasari performances since 2009. "Yukie and Han-joo both are so open and encouraging towards any sort of performance that it is hard not to be moved to participate in the events."

Visit fb.com/groups/bulgasari for more information.