Kim Duk-soo

Kim was born in Taejon on September 23, 1952. He began his music career at the age of five when joined the Namsadang group, a wandering artists troupe.[2] At age seven, Kim became the youngest person to win the President's Award in the National Folk Music Contest.[3][4]

In 1978, Kim, alongside his colleagues Kim Yong-bae, Lee Kwang-soo, and Choi Jong-sil, formed the SamulNori group. The group used four main instruments: kkwaenggwari, jing, buk, and janggu, the latter of which Kim played.[1] They performed indoors, as, under the Park Chung-hee administration, traditional instruments were associated with student protests, and playing them outside could lead to arrest.[5] The samul nori genre expanded from this initial ensemble, as more groups started to play the same music style.[6]

In 1993, Kim founded a large samul nori orchestra named "Hanullim." The orchestra seeks to promote samul nori performance.[1][7]

Kim has won numerous awards, including the Fukuoka Arts and Culture Prize and the Order of Cultural Merit.[3] He was also listed as one of the "50 Most Distinguished Koreans in the 50 Years since National Liberation" by the Chosun Ilbo.[3]