Television channel JTBC announced on Tuesday that it will start airing “Punglyu Daejang — Battle of the Hip Traditional Singers” (translated), a competition program for gugak, or traditional Korean music, next month.

The program aims to incorporate pop music and gugak in order to promote the traditional art form. Many renowned figures in gugak are set to participate in the program.

Popular trot singer Song Ga-in who was previously a gugak artist, as well as singers Kim Jong-jin, Lee Juck, Lena Park, Sung Si-kyung, Wooyoung of boy band 2PM and Solar of girl group Mamamoo will star as judges of the show.

TV personality Jun Hyun-moo will be the host.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]