Revered folk dancer falls from grace

Korean folk dancer Ha Yong-bu, right / Korea Times file

Intangible cultural asset holder Ha Yong-bu to be stripped of title

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Revered Korean folk dancer Ha Yong-bu, who has been designated as a holder of the important intangible cultural heritage title since 2001, will be stripped of the honor.

The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) made the announcement Friday, over a year after Ha's fall from grace in February last year after he was accused of sexual misconduct.

Ha founded the Milyang Theater Village in the southeastern city of Miryang in 1981 and had since served as its head until last year. Some former troupe members alleged he sexually harassed and assaulted them when they worked together in the village. Ha was subsequently removed from the position.

Ha, 64, who was once lauded as a pioneer who played a critical role in modernizing and globalizing Korean folk dance, was indicted for sexually assaulting several former troupe members and his trial will start this week at Changwon Court.

The CHA said members of the intangible cultural asset committee held a meeting Friday to discuss the issue and decided to strip Ha of his title. It will announce the committee's decision in an official post this week, which will make the decision final.

The cultural authorities' decision was also influenced by Ha failing to pass on his folk dance techniques to the next generation.

Holders of intangible cultural assets are required to pass on their skills to the next generation and are subject to losing their status if they don't participate in any educational activities for a year or more. The Milyang Theater Village confirmed Ha hadn't taught students for more than a year.

The CHA cut off financial assistance for Ha last year after he became caught up in the #MeToo movement.

Ha's alleged sexual misconduct surfaced immediately after several women accused renowned dramatist and producer Lee Yoon-taek last year of sexually assaulting them. A local court ruled against Lee and he was sentenced to a six-year jail term. He appealed but the higher court also sided with the victims, increasing the sentence to seven years.

Lee and Ha were close, and once worked together in a troupe the former created. In a media interview, Ha said Lee was an inspiring man and called him his master.

“Before meeting him, I was just a folk dancer. I only knew how to dance,” said Ha. “Lee encouraged me to think about what dance moves are before I actually dance… Meeting with him was a turning point in my life.”

After some victims blew the whistle about Lee's sexual misconduct, others also accused Ha of sexually assaulting female members of the troupe. Their allegations posted on an online community spread quickly through social media.

Ha initially admitted his misdeeds and apologized to the victims. He said he would relinquish his intangible cultural heritage title. However, he later reversed his position and denied the sexual harassment.

His trial is scheduled to begin July 18.