Korea's First-Generation Pianist Han Dong-il Dies at 83 Years Old

Han Dong-il, a first-generation Korean pianist, passed away on the 29th at the age of 83.Han Dong-il, who is called

'Domestic Music prodigy No. 1', has the record of being the first Korean to win an overseas competition and has been awarded the Peony Medal, a national medal, in recognition of his various contributions.

Born in Hamheung, South Hamgyong Province, in 1941, he started playing piano at the age of three due to the influence of his father, who was a Seoul orchestra player, the predecessor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and joined the Juilliard Conservatory in the U.S. shortly after the Korean War as a scholarship student.

The deceased, who played at the White House at the invitation of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1962, became the first Korean to win an international competition with the victory of the 24th Libertte International Piano Competition in 1965.The late

is known to have trained his junior at universities in the United States for 37 years, especially starting with the Indiana University of Music, and continued his performance until recently.

The mortuary will be set up at the funeral hall of Sinchon Severance Hospital in Seoul on January 1 next year.