Korean Dancer Ch’oe Sŭng-hŭi’s Figure in Hungarian Articles during the 20th Century

Abstract

While the popularity of Korean performances is growing globally, research on Korean performance history in Hungary is still limited. One of the most prominent figures in Korean dance history is the dancer and choreographer Ch’oe Sŭng-hŭi, who visited Europe several times between 1938 and the 1960s. Scholars investigating her performances often focus on region-specific research. In Hungary, Mózes Csoma has numerous publications on Ch’oe’s life, but his research focuses on the diplomatic aspects of the topic. The aim of this study is to examine Ch’oe Sŭng-hŭi’s figure and the language used in Hungarian news articles published in the first half of the 20th century. The criteria for data collection were as follows: (1) the article was available through the Arcanum digital archive; (2) the article was published in Hungarian-language periodicals between 1938 and 1969; and (3) the article mentioned the dancer by name. Twelve articles were collected using this method and analysed with regard to three research questions: (1) how was Ch’oe Sŭnghŭi represented in Hungarian media? (2) What kind of image was presented in these articles about the state and history of Korean dance? And (3) how did the Korean language appear in contemporary Hungarian media? In 1938, Ch’oe Sŭng-hŭi embarked on an international tour under the flag of the Japanese Empire. She was scheduled to perform in Budapest as well, but when World War II broke out, she was evacuated. Four of the collected records date from this period, in which her Japanese name, Sai Shōki, was used. After the liberation in 1945, she followed her husband to North Korea, where she became the leader of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Korean People’s Army. Since the ensemble toured Eastern Bloc countries numerous times, most of the articles (eight) date from between 1948 and 1965. In 1939, she was referred to as both Japanese and Korean, but her exotic beauty was emphasised in all four cases. During the Korean War, she was introduced more as a revolutionary figure than as an artist, similarly to the rest of the ensemble. However, both before and after the war, her outstanding talent was highlighted.