Byeongsin Chum is an East Asian dance form mainly performed by “farmers” belonging to a lower class as a form of satire. This “satirical” dance is said to have originated in a city called Miryang located in South Korea. The idea behind creating this dance style was to make fun of the Korean noble community (i.e. Yangban) by representing them as midgets, lepers, hunchbacks, blind, deaf, etc. However, according to Professor Chae Hui-hwan of the Busan National University, “This dance has not been created to make fun of the Korean nobility but more as an expression that represents the liberation of men”.
This dance has recently been publicly acknowledged[clarification needed] by South Korean actress Gong Ok-jin . During the annexation era, Japan outlawed this activity, but it has since been revived as a traditional Korean dance in both South and North Korea.
Byeongsin Chum, a play by a South Korean theatrical troupe performed in Daehangno in 2001, sparked controversy because some people found it offensive and discriminatory toward people with disabilities. According to the Research Institute of the Differently Abled Person’s Right in Korea (RIDRIK), while artistic expression is important, the problem is when it makes fun of the marginalized, and they disapprove of traditional Korean practices that degrade the disabled.
a. History/origin of the Byeongsin Chum dance:
It is said that originally this dance style was created by “farmers” belonging to a lower class to make fun of the Korean nobility by representing the community as midgets, lepers, hunchbacks, blind, deaf etc. However, the fact that this dance was created to ridicule a community was snubbed by Professor Chae Hui-hwan of the Busan National University, who stated that this dance in reality was created as a form of expression to represent “male liberation”.
b. Costumes used in the Byeongsin Chum dance:
The costume worn in this dance style varies according to the gender of the performer as follows:
1. For women:
The attire used includes a white dress, a black long skirt, and a white headgear.
2. For men:
The attire worn includes a white long robe and a white headgear or a black hat.
c. Music involved in the Byeongsin Chum dance:
The musical instruments basically used in this dance form are drums.
d. Training availability and technique involved in the Byeongsin Chum dance:
In terms of the technique, this dance involves the performers imitating the body movements of midgets, lepers, hunchbacks etc so as to make fun of the Korean nobility community. As for training centres/schools, there are none available around the world since this is a “folk” dance mainly performed in South Korea especially in the city of Miryang.