Gifted violinist says he wants to move forward

Korean-American violinist Eugene Park, alleged to have been detained and abused by his former managers, said he wants to leave the past behind and focus on rebuilding his music career.

In an interview with the Yonhap news agency on Saturday, Park avoided directly addressing the recent rumors regarding his former agent`s alleged manipulation saying that "talking about it is frustrating and painful."

The U.S. born and raised violinist, a graduate of Julliard School of Music, was hailed as a sensation when he began performing in Korea in the mid-1990s and released three albums. He was often likened to Vanessa Mae for his exceptional skills on the electronic violin and his ability to easily cross from classical music into other genres, including pop and techno.



However, Park began disappearing from the public eye from several years ago.

Then recently, video footages and pictures which showed Park looking mentally unstable began surfacing on the internet, raising suspicions about possible manipulation.

To the shock of his fans, the footages showed Park often performing in settings that did not befit his musical talent and training. Unconfirmed reports of manipulation that included extortion and confinement, particularly last year, spread quickly over the Internet. The violinist has long been said to have suffered from a mild form of depression and autism, making him an easy target for abuse. The Korean-American also does not speak Korean particularly well.

Despite conflicting reports about his past few months and new management, Park said he had spent the last three weeks in the United States and was thus unaware of the recent controversy surrounding him.

"I didn`t know (anything about the rumors) because not only am I not good with the computer but also I just got back from New York last Thursday," Park said.

"But I heard the news from my manager and was very thankful that a lot of my people worried and cared about me," he added.

As of Sunday, more than 50,000 netizens have signed onto an online campaign to launch a full-fledged criminal investigation into the alleged exploitation and help Park receive the treatment and rest he needs.

Park said that the only way he can pay back his fans who participated in the campaign to save him is through live music, and he said he plans to release a new album in the near future. He is also set to go back and forth between the United States and Korea to widen his musical horizon, he said.

"Although there were times that I was not paid for my performances, music and fun concerts are the most important things for me. I become happy when I plug in my electronic violin," he said.

"But the best will be giving a lot of concerts for which I get paid properly."

(youngaah@heraldm.com)







By Koh Young-aah