Trot singer Park Seo-jin has brought Korean trot to an international festival stage for the first time, performing as the KBS representative artist at the 15th ABU Song Festival in Sri Lanka on November 2, MHN Sports reported on November 5.
The event, officially called ABU Song Festival 2026, is hosted by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. It is a non-competitive international music festival in which broadcasters from participating countries present music and exchange culture, and Park became the first trot singer to appear on its stage.
Park took the stage wearing a hanbok, putting a distinctly Korean visual identity at the center of the performance. He combined singing with his trademark janggu drumming, a pairing that has become his signature on stage, and dancers added a fan performance to the set.
According to the report, the combination of powerful janggu playing and strong vocals left a strong impression on an overseas audience across different cultures and languages.
The performance matters because it moves a style rooted in Korean popular music and traditional instruments onto a platform built for cultural exchange. Rather than presenting trot as a domestic genre alone, Park’s set framed it as part of the wider range of Korean popular music on show at the festival.
The MHN Sports report did not quote a statement from Park about the performance. Its account instead focused on the staging and on what the appearance represents: an established trot performer carrying a traditional instrument into an international festival setting.
That framing is consistent with how the report describes Park’s stage identity. The janggu is the core of his performance style, paired here with vocals and fan work to reach listeners who may be hearing trot in this form for the first time.
The festival appearance also comes ahead of a busy domestic schedule. Park is set to open his 2026-27 national tour with concerts at COEX D Hall in Seoul on December 25 and 26, followed by dates in Jeonju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, and Incheon as part of a six-city run.
For now, the Sri Lanka performance stands as a milestone in its own right: the first time a trot singer has represented Korean music at the ABU Song Festival, and a showcase that links traditional performance to a global festival audience.
