Scallion farmers and a haenyeo: Busan grandmas, average age 73, debut as a trot girl group
Korea has a new girl group, and its youngest member is 70. The 문오성 트롯걸즈 (Munoseong Teurotgeoljeu [문오성 트롣껄즈]), Munoseong Trot Girls, are eight women from the fishing villages of Gijang County in eastern Busan, with an average age of 73. They were born between 1950 and 1956. On November 8 the group announced the official release of their first song, "문오성 이야기" (Munoseong iyagi), "The Story of Munoseong," with a music video in K-pop style, the Korea Herald, the Seoul Shinmun and Asia Economy reported.
Who are the Trot Girls?
The members have spent decades working in the villages of Ilgwang-eup. Most of them grew 쪽파 (jjokpa), scallions, on local farms, and one member, Noh Young-ae, has been a 해녀 (haenyeo), a woman diver, for about 40 years. The name Munoseong refers to five villages whose names all start with "Mun": Mundong, Munseo, Munsang, Munjung and Munha.
The group grew out of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' project to revitalise 어촌 (eochon), fishing villages. According to the Herald, it started as a poetry class for older residents. When the organisers noticed that the women happily spent five or six hours at karaoke, they switched to trot singing lessons, and a group was born. A project Instagram page followed their singing and dance lessons and the recording of the song.
A song about village life
The women helped write the 노랫말 (noraetmal [노랜말]), lyrics, from their own memories, and the music is by musician Cho Tae-joon. The song is about the village scenery and the ups and downs of women's lives in a fishing community. They first sang it in public at a night market festival on August 1, before this month's official release. In the music video, six of the members dance perfectly in sync, like a K-pop act.
The story doesn't end with the song. The organisers are making a documentary about the history of the women of Munoseong, built around the group's debut, and hope to finish it in the first half of 2027 and send it to film festivals in Korea and abroad.
Why it matters for learners
트로트 (teuroteu) is a Korean pop genre with a steady beat and plenty of vibrato, long loved by older listeners. In everyday speech and in names, people often shorten it to 트롯 (teurot), as this group does.
The story is also full of words for talking about age. The news headlines called the youngest member 칠순 (chilsun), which means "aged 70" and is also the name for a 70th birthday party. 평균 나이 (pyeonggyun nai) is average age, and the polite word for a grandmother is 할머니 (halmeoni). In Gyeongsang dialect, which you'll hear around Busan, you may also hear the warmer 할매 (halmae).
Korean from this story
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 트로트 | teuroteu | trot (music) |
| 걸그룹 | geolgeurup | girl group |
| 데뷔하다 | debwihada | to debut |
| 노랫말 | noraetmal [노랜말] | lyrics |
| 어촌 | eochon | fishing village |
| 해녀 | haenyeo | woman diver |
| 쪽파 | jjokpa | scallion, green onion |
| 칠순 | chilsun | age 70, 70th birthday |
| 평균 나이 | pyeonggyun nai | average age |
| 할머니 | halmeoni | grandmother |
A pattern for news like this: N(으)로 데뷔했어요 – "debuted as N." For example, 할머니들이 트로트 걸그룹으로 데뷔했어요 (halmeonideuri teuroteu geolgeurubeuro debwihaesseoyo [데뷔해써요]) – "Grandmothers have debuted as a trot girl group."
Sources: The Korea Herald – Over 70 and in sync: Busan grandmas debut as trot girl group, Nov. 8, Seoul Shinmun – An 'average age 73' girl group raised by the Gijang sea, Nov. 9 (Korean), Asia Economy – A new girl group whose youngest member is 70, Nov. 8 (Korean)