CHILGOK, South Korea, Feb 13 (Reuters) - A group of South Korean octogenarian rappers have hit it big in their hometown & beyond, rapping about farm life & bringing energy to a quiet rural area threatened by a population slump.
Suni & the Seven Princesses have become local celebrities since debuting in a community centre in August last year in Chilgok county, an area in North Gyeongsang province more than 4 hours drive from capital city Seoul.
"It feels like I'm getting younger ... Even if I'm old, I'm excited," said Park Jeom-sun, 81, leader of the group.
After initially gaining a modest fan club of 150 people, the group's fame spread beyond their own county. They have been asked to perform in local towns & appear on TV shows. Their videos have garnered more than 77,000 views on YouTube.
Park said she & the other group members feel like they are reliving their youth when they perform in bucket hats, wearing metal jewellery & baggy pants.
Their lyrics are often about rural life & include lines like: "Picking chilli from a chilli farm ... Picking watermelon from a watermelon farm. So happy to be back home!"
Group members, who have known each other since they were young, missed out on an education in the harsh years after the Korean War, & in 2016, they all took an adult education class to learn how to read & write the Korean alphabet, Hangul.
Last year, Park came across a rap performance on the internet & the group decided to learn rap from their Hangul teacher & make a senior hip-hop group.
4 other rap groups made up of older South Koreans have sprung up in Chilgok, some formed with the idea of staving off dementia & loneliness.
Park's proud 27-year-old granddaughter, Kang Hye-eun, believes her grandmother is the most famous resident of Chilgok.
"I thought only celebrities become popular on social media, but my grandmother is there now."
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