Mongolian singer goes on journey toward Korean dream

Gantogoo Sergelen smiles after winning the top prize in the song competition at the Migrants’ Arirang Multicultural Festival (MAMF) in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province on Oct. 1. / Yonhap

By Kim Ji-soo

For several years, the annual Migrants’ Arirang Multicultural Festival (MAMF), held in southern Korea, was a dream stage for Gantogoo Sergelen from Mongolia.

But on Oct.1, the former migrant worker and now a member of a singing troupe, stood on that stage by grabbing top prize at the festival.

Singing the Korean ballad “When Time Goes By” by Choi Ho-seop, Sergelen, 32, won after a previous unsuccessful attempt, taking home a 4 million-won prize and a chance to enter the Korean entertainment industry.

The MAMF is organized and hosted by the Gyungnam Migrant Community Service Center, with support from the government of South Gyeongsang Province and the city of Changwon.

“I learned the language through Korean songs. I love to sing. It is a way to communicate,” Sergelen told The Korea Times in Seoul. Speaking in near-fluent Korean, which he taught himself, Sergelen said it felt good to be able to talk about his life in Korea. Just like Koreans learn English through Western pop songs, Sergelen, who came to South Korea nine years ago as a migrant worker under the country’s Employment Permit System, relies on Korean songs, mainly ballads, to help him weather the hardships.

Sergelen, who also goes by the name Ganaa, has always wanted to sing, even back in Ulaanbaatar, in Mongolia. But a series of significant difficulties _ his parents’ separation and the struggling Mongolian economy _ led the teachers college graduate to leave for South Korea to work on an E-9 visa.

“In Mongolia, you see Korean dramas on television, and you expect high-rise apartments and buildings,” he said. “But when you come (here) as a migrant worker, you start working in a dark factory.”

He first started to work in a factory that made shop banners in Goyang, in Gyeonggi Province. He worked long days, as well as nights, for which the pay was slightly higher, six days a week.

Sergelen, who already looked like a hip-hop artist with his black cap, black earrings and bracelets _ like those seen in the streets of Hongdae _ did not go into detail about the five years he worked at factories, ranging from processing meat to making cup noodles. He did not say how much he made during those days, but he was able to support his two younger sisters through college. When they graduated, he called his family and said he would finally pursue his dreams.

Korea is becoming more diverse as more foreigners migrate to the country for work, marriage and study. Sergelen is among some 580,000 foreign migrant workers who have come to Korea to work under the Employment Permit System, which was introduced in 2004. While there have been success stories among those who have entered under the system, as they are well educated, there have also been many reports of abuse and underpayment. Sergelen doesn’t talk much about the difficulties he faced while working under the system.

“You can’t imagine what it is like, what the culture of a factory is like, what the work is like, how we fought, how we drank,” he said.

He has, however, tried to be thankful for the good and bad employers and experiences for having taught him life lessons.

He said they have changed his thinking and attitude for the better, such as being willing to come to work earlier than needed and to sweep the floor even though it’s not part of the job.

“You know, any company president or owner likes employees who work hard and well,” he said.

Sergelen is no longer on the E-9 visa and has obtained an E-6 artist visa. In 2012, he auditioned for Montant, a social enterprise and multicultural art troupe, and became a member. He has worked hard and steadily, he said, to come this far, and his next goal is to obtain a residency, so he doesn’t have to renew his visa every year. His dream is to make a living as a singer in Korea, and to that end, he has sought opportunities to perform on stage _ ranging from weekend multicultural singing competitions to audition-based TV talent shows such as “Star Audition: Great Birth” on MBC and “Superstar K 3,” in which he climbed to the top 100. His dream stage is the “Immortal Song” on KBS, a show where professional singers belt out their renditions of renowned songs originally sung by Korean artists. He has also had the opportunity to sing a duet with his favorite Korean singer, Kim Tae-woo, formerly of the K-pop boy band g.o.d.

Even when he was working at the factory jobs, he worked hard during the week so he can perform on weekends. Now, he constantly knocks on doors to find every opportunity he can.

“I have come to love Korea, its food, its language and its music,” he said. “I hope that the society will be more open to offering talented people from different cultural backgrounds a chance to develop their skills.” He also hopes that someday the society will look at foreigners the same way it looks at Koreans.

With so much of K-pop centered on the young, so-called “idol” stars, and with the difficulty of making it as a singer, what does Sergelen think of his chances?

“My dreams are big, but my goal is not to become some big K-pop star,” he said. “How many people actually do what they love and still make a living?”