KOREA FOUNDATION

The melody of the violin filled the hospital ward stricken by the unprecedented threat of a virus. It was the music of healing played by violinist Won Hyung-joon, drawing the attention of major global media outlets. As the artistic director of the Lindenbaum Orchestra, Won has sent a message of peace from the Korean peninsula around the world and is currently searching for other ways to contribute to society as a musician during this pandemic era.

Healing concerts at negative pressure hospital wards and isolated facilities
Founding the Lindenbaum Orchestra, highlighting peace on the Korean peninsula
Holding an inter-Korean concert in Shanghai in 2019
Expectations for the KF’s role for inter-Korean reconciliation and private-level exchanges

Since October, you have held healing concerts on Jeju Island and around Busan. How did you start holding these concerts during the COVID-19 pandemic?
It was a time when people were beginning to talk about artists and musicians whose livelihoods were threatened by the lack of performances due to the severe spread of the virus and what they could do under such circumstances. To lift people’s spirits, I posted a video of myself playing the violin on social media and received a proposal to participate in a joint campaign of the Korean Cultural Center in Austria; the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The proposal was followed by a call from Myongji Hospital for a healing concert. My performance at its negative pressure ward was shown on BBC News, and that coverage led to more concerts at Kyungpook National University Hospital and Yeungnam University Medical Center.

We understand that you have arranged the music pieces in accordance with the healing frequencies of Markus J. Buehler, a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Would you tell us about these healing frequencies?
You can say that frequencies mean the pitch of sound, whether high or low. These days, most classical pieces are played at the 440Hz standard, but if the music is tuned to 432 Hz, it is thought to have healing effects. The theory is still debated, but research based on experiments with water, which composes 70 percent of the human body, has found that water crystals remained most stable when music was played at 432 Hz. The Lindenbaum Orchestra, where I am the artistic director, has been cooperating with MIT Media Lab in the field of music for inter-Korean reconciliation, and this time we worked together on music to overcome the pandemic.

In 2017, you became the first Korean violinist to play at the UN Geneva Peace Talks, seeking to ease the conflict between South and North Korea through music. What motivated you as an artist to get interested in solving sociopolitical problems? Was there a special occasion?
In 1990, I was invited to play at the World Economic Forum. I was young then, but I was deeply impressed by the comprehensive discussion of political, economic, and social issues there. I thought music was necessary to be present at the meeting where people of diverse fields gathered and discussed global issues. I also felt that as a musician, I could play a role through my social participation as well as through my moving musical performance. I had a great interest in easing the inter-Korean conflict and establishing peace on the Korean peninsula. In 2009, I founded the Lindenbaum Orchestra with the hope of holding a joint peace concert by South and North Korean musicians and forming an inter-Korean orchestra.

Violinist Won Hyung-joon performs at the 2017 Geneva Peace Talks. / Courtesy of Won Hyung-joon

Would you tell us which was the most memorable of all events and performances you have taken part in?
It was the first-ever joint performance of South and North Korean musicians in Shanghai last year. The concert was set for May 12. We had the first rehearsal on May 8, and North Korea launched missiles just the next day. Tension mounted between South and North Korea and everyone expected the cancellation of the concert, but it was held, nonetheless. In the course of promoting inter-Korean musical events, I had seen many of them being cancelled due to external problems, and it was truly touching to see the concert take place as planned.

What do the inter-Korean joint performances and orchestra, which you have pursued all along, mean for you?
First of all, such efforts are meaningful as a process leading to inter-Korean reconciliation and unification. As a result, inter-Korean unity has always been discussed. Would peace be realized on the Korean peninsula if the leaders of the two sides were to meet and sign an agreement? Would it be possible to realize unification suddenly one day, without the process of mutual exchanges? I don’t think a concert would bring peace to the peninsula, but I do think it is necessary to foster mutual exchanges and understanding step by step. I heard that it was largely owing to the will of the North Korean soprano that it was possible for the Shanghai concert to be held. She must have cherished the whole preparation process of talking, eating, and practicing together and wanted to keep the promise to hold the joint performance. I think such a bond of sympathy and trust-building leads to reconciliation and peace.

The 2019 inter-Korean concert at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center in Shanghai, China / Courtesy of Won Hyung-joon

And you think it is necessary to let the world see how South and North Korea trust each other and engage in cultural exchanges, don’t you?
Yes, I do. Korea has an increasing appeal to the outside world, but the trouble is the division of the Korean peninsula. Whether the division becomes a burden or an asset depends on our attitude of understanding and responding to the current state of affairs. As we turned the threat of COVID-19 into an opportunity to be recognized by the world through excellent preventive and quarantine measures, we should work to realize inter-Korean reconciliation and show it to the world. That is why I want to create a joint orchestra of South and North Korean musicians.

Do you have any wishes from or advice for the KF?
My wish is that the KF will vigorously support private exchanges for inter-Korean reconciliation and peace. Inter-Korean harmony is not simply a political matter. We already have an inter-Korean agreement. It is unfortunate that it has yet to be implemented. Private exchanges are essential to put the agreement into practice, and therefore, the role of the KF supporting public diplomacy of the private sector is important. There are many such problems as war, disease, environmental issues, and alienation that we have to solve together with concerted efforts. During this pandemic, the most imminent task is to contain the virus. I will continue to find what I, as a musician, can do to solve these problems. I hope the KF and KF Newsletter readers will show interest in my efforts and support them.