Korean power couple continue regal domination of the arts
Pianist Paik Kun-woo and actress Yun Jeong-hie are Korea's ultimate power couple; they have the records, prizes and medals to prove it. Everyone loves an epic romance, especially when lovers cause blood to boil in the veins of the art world (and not just their own hearts). Think Lennon and Ono, Plath and Hughes, Chopin and Sand, Rodin and Claudel and the Schumanns.
Then there’s pianist Paik Kun-woo and wife Yun Jeong-hie.
In the streets of Seoul, it’s easy to spot couples flaunting their affection with matching outfits, but this power duo now has identical medals bestowed on them by the French Culture Ministry.
In April, Yun received the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres, one of the highest artistic honors bestowed by the French. Paik got his in 2000 for promoting the music of French composers such as Olivier Messiaen and Claude Debussy.
Other arts laureates include author J.K. Rowling, filmmaker Tim Burton, actress Jeon Do-yeon and designer Andre Kim.
“It’s not easy for a married couple to receive the award," Paik said at a recent Seoul press event. "I’m so proud of my wife and am thankful that the French recognized her 45-year movie career."
The reserved, soft-spoken and often stoic Paik beamed as he spoke. Yun smiled shyly in the corner. As always, she had accompanied her husband to the conference promoting his concerts here in June.
Classic couple
Their story reads like a romance novel. He was a piano prodigy rewriting music history in Europe and
she was one of Korea’s most glamorous movie stars.
Oft-repeated anecdotes include how, when they went on a movie date to watch one of Yun’s films, Paik felt torn, unsure whether to watch her screen persona or the beautiful woman sitting next to him.
They fell in love, wed and rode into the sunset of Paris. They still live in the city d’amour.
“People recognize us both in the streets (of Paris). It’s surprising how much exposure my wife
received through her film ‘Poetry,’” said Paik.
The comeback
They were, of course, photographed together on the red carpet last year when Yun’s award-winning film “Poetry” was invited to compete at the Cannes Film Festival. The poignant drama, written and directed by Lee Chang-dong, won the Best Screenplay Award and enjoyed a nationwide release across France.
The film marked Yun’s return to the silver screen after a 15-year hiatus, during which time she lived as a homemaker.
Though she starred in more than 300 movies during the 1950s and 1960s, she had to challenge herself anew for the big comeback, to brave a new style of naturalistic acting.
The role for the 66-year-old, moreover, signaled the rise of elder heroines, still rare in local cinema.
To prepare for the role of a naive grandmother who becomes immersed in poetry, she practiced the
lines with her husband.
“He criticized me, saying I was being too theatrical,” Yun said during a press conference last year in Seoul. “But he also noted how strikingly similar I was with my character Mi-ja, how I still retain a girlish naivety.”
Mi-ja is also Yun’s real name.
The actress meanwhile always monitors her husband’s concerts. Paik rose to fame by tackling unprecedented all-Liszt programs in Paris.
The 65-year-old continues to stir things up in Seoul by delivering a four-piano performance with budding young artists and a Beethoven sonata marathon.
Yun says she usually sits in the back of the concert hall. She becomes even more nervous than her husband, and sheds tears every time the audience reacts with an ovation.
Whether onscreen, onstage or simply sitting side-by-side in a theater, the couple continues to inspire. Yun once said that she plans to act until she’s 90.
Paik is due to give a two-part concert in Seoul for the bicentennial of Franz Liszt’s birth. The performances will take place on June 19 and 25 at Seoul Arts Center, Seocho-dong. Visit Club Balcony for more information.
