Dressed in traditional Korean hanbok, Spanish vocalists serenade audiences with the melodic tunes of Korean folk songs and "Arirang "-- not in Korea, but in Spain.

Well before the global phenomenon of K-pop took hold, Lim Jae-sik, the artistic director of Spain's Grupo Vocal Millennium, dedicated himself to getting professional singers in Spain to sing Korean songs.

In 1999, Lim, a lifelong member and head of tenors at RTVE Choir, the oldest professional choir in Spain, recruited 25 members among his 80 colleagues and founded the Grupo Vocal Millennium.

“To welcome the new millennium, I named the choir Grupo Vocal Millennium. We boast a repertoire of over 80 songs and are celebrating our 25th anniversary this year,” said Lim in a recent interview with The Korea Herald.

In 1985, when Lim was with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, a fellow vocalist asked him to recommend a Korean song. She wanted something different from opera arias.

“I introduced her to the Korean song ‘Dongsimcho,’ which my mother loved,” said Lim. "Dongsimcho" is a well-known Korean art song.

This was an "Aha!" moment for Lim. If he could teach professional vocalists Korean songs, the Spanish people would recognize the beauty within them. He kept this resolution for 15 years before founding his own choir.

In retrospect, Lim said that his determination had sparkled even before that.

In the 1980s, he set off for Spain to pursue vocal studies at the Madrid Royal Conservatory. However, he encountered derogatory remarks and racial discrimination from fellow students for his Asian features.

“I was 20 years old, and from then on, I started thinking about wanting to promote Korean songs. If only they could know how beautiful they are.”

True global recognition, according to Lim, emanates from both experts and the people.

“I wanted foreign professional vocalists to sing Korean songs. In my 21 years of experience, I have come to realize the paramount importance of teaching our songs, especially to experts and professionals.”

Also, for the past 15 years, Lim has been teaching Korean children's songs to Spanish children through a children's choir.

“Finally, in 2021, the traditional Korean song ‘Arirang’ found its place in the music textbook for fifth-grade students (in Spain). It’s how we (Koreans) learn ‘Edelweiss’ in school. The emotions and joy (I feel) cannot be overstated.”

Lim’s journey does not end in Spain, nor in Europe.

Every August, Lim and Grupo Vocal Millennium tour across Korea, performing in various cities.

“It's disheartening that many Koreans, especially younger generations, are not well-acquainted with our folk songs. They might not even be aware that they do not know these songs. It’s sad that our traditional songs are gradually fading away.”

Lim now wants Koreans to recognize the beauty and significance of our own songs.

“We (Lim and Grupo Vocal Millennium) aim to revive forgotten Korean folk songs, both in Korea and abroad, and show how precious and beautiful they are.”