[Korea Minting and Security Printing Corp.]
[Korea Minting and Security Printing Corp.]

The Korea Minting and Security Printing Corp. is releasing an official commemorative medal marking the 40th anniversary of soprano Jo Su-mi's debut on the world stage.

The state-run minting company said it will hold a launch event Thursday at Shinsegae Namsan in Jung-gu, Seoul, where company President Sung Chang-hoon and Jo will make the first public unveiling of the medal and present its design.

The medal was created to honor Jo's 40-year musical journey and her role in raising the profile of Korean culture and the arts on the world stage.

Jo was the first Asian to receive the special Maria Callas Award and the first person of Asian descent to sweep six major international vocal competitions. She has also received the Golden Wild Goose Award and the International Puccini Award — the latter as the only non-Italian recipient — cementing her reputation as a world-class vocalist.

The commemorative medal comes in two versions: gold and silver. The gold medal is struck in 99.9% pure gold (Au999), measures 32 millimeters in diameter and weighs 15.55 grams, with only 400 issued. The silver medal is struck in 99.9% pure silver (Ag999), measures 40 millimeters in diameter and weighs 31.1 grams, with 4,000 produced. The edition sizes of 400 and 4,000 were chosen to reflect the significance of the 40th anniversary.

The obverse features typographic elements symbolizing the 40th anniversary alongside a portrait of Jo. The reverse depicts the Teatro Verdi in Trieste, Italy — where Jo first stepped onto the world stage — and her debut performance as Gilda in the opera "Rigoletto."

The packaging was also designed with the 1986 debut theater as its motif and includes an acrylic figurine recreating Jo's appearance on stage at the time.

Reservations open Thursday at 3 p.m. and run through 3 p.m. on Sept. 5 via the minting corporation's online shopping mall. Orders will be delivered sequentially beginning in October.

"This is a meaningful work commemorating the brilliant artistic journey of a soprano who represents the Republic of Korea," Sung said. "We hope it will serve as a special keepsake that preserves the emotion and value of Jo Su-mi, who has elevated the standing of Korean culture and the arts on the world stage, for years to come."


fact0514@heraldcorp.com